Twisted
by chojutsuka
Summary: After Ishida Uryuu's near death experience, he and Ichigo close the gap on their rival relationship. Unfortunately, a hollow is internally wreaking havoc on the archer: Does he survive, or will the evil poison consume the Quincy? IchiXIshi PreSoulSoc Arc
1. Of Souls and Secrets

Hello everyone! This is my first post as a member of FanFic, so I appreciate any constructive criticism. I'm developing a plot which will then lead to a yaoi situation, with a slight twist. This first chapter is rated Teen, mostly for language (The M rating is an umbrella for the whole story). I hope that you all enjoy it, I am trying my best at a good story! With out further adue...

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and I am not profiting from this story in any way.

Chapter One: Of Souls and Secrets

It was that look again. That same smug look he always made. It was enough to send him raging, an indelible fury simply from rolling his eyes. He wanted to just crush his body and go on with the rest of his life. Yet here his adversary stood, his eyes aloof and emotionless, while his own fists were clenched, his brow moistened, his teeth clamped together in a thin grimace.

"It's not my problem, carrot top. What you do with your things is your business." casually gesturing to the limp wad dangling in his hand.

He slammed his fist down into the table. Damn him. How can one kid be so frickin annoying? "It's all your fault. You're the 'Home Eq' geek. Explain this to me!" With that, he opened the other hand to reveal a small stuffed animal that resembled a lion, his head encircled with a baby bonnet. "I mean, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

"How do I know that you didn't put that on him yourself?" He glanced at the accessory, a brief flicker of a smile passing over his face. "I can be held accountable for every little thing you do, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"DAMMIT! Why would I put such a ridiculous thing on-" furiously shaking Kon in his hands, then realizing that he was disorienting the poor creature inhabiting the stuffed lion, quickly placed him on the table. "I didn't ask for the commentary, Mr. Homemaker. Just fix it."

"I am actually in the middle of some very important business," stating plainly, fluffing out his carefully crafted doily.

Ichigo could literally feel the veins popping out of his head. He slapped his hand to his forehead in disgust, then pointed menacingly at the cute needlework. "You call THIS important?! All I know is that you better have this done when I come back, or I'm going to stick that piece of cloth right up your -!"

Just then some of the cuter upper class girls enrolled in the home eq class walked past, whispering and giggling to each other, pointedly at Ichigo. His expression changed to a strained smile. "Heh heh." He strode to the door and cast a sideways glance at Uryuu.

"See ya later, pal! Remember that thing I asked you to do for me alright, friend? Catch you later!" His smile quickly dissipated into his usual scowl. I can't let anyone know that guy gets to me so easily. It's bad for my image. I don't know what it is about him, but every time I see him, I just want to wring his scrawny little neck.

In his ponderings, Ichigo did not notice the shadowy figure looming in the corridor adjoining his. While he was heading to his classroom, he felt a sharp tug on his collar, knocking him flat on his back.

"YOU need to come with ME." The ominous form declared, dragging his body to the nearest exit.

"HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE -!" Ichigo protested, struggling against the current.

"Keep your voice down, you idiot! Do you want to draw attention to yourself?" she said as she pushed through the double doors leading outside to the recreational area behind the school.

"I wouldn't resort to yelling if you act CIVILIZED about these things! RUKIA-!" was the last sound heard before the exit door latched shut.

"There has been a hollow sighting, about two blocks away from the school."

"And?" Ichigo tugged away from the hold, unfortunately ripping his uniform in the process. "AGH! THAT'S JUST GREAT! Now I have to ask Uryuu to fix my shirt too!"

As Ichigo grumbled to himself, Rukia continued. "I wouldn't have dragged you out of class for something trivial. This particular hollow has eluded soul reapers for centuries. It has been a while since it has been sighted, and it is unknown as to what has brought it out of hiding."

From the window, Uryuu could see Rukia and Ichigo talking, or at least what it could be called remotely. From the third floor, it appeared as if Ichigo was flailing his arms about in some sort of interpretive dance.

"YOU CAN'T JUST PULL ME OUT OF SCHOOL WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT! I mean it's not like I mind getting out of class, but I would like to have a CHOICE!" Ichigo ranted.

"Get over yourself Ichigo. The Code of the Soul Reaper is much more important that some measly Algebra or English class. People's lives are at stake!"

Just then Ichigo remembered something detrimental. It felt as though someone had slapped him across the back of his head. "I LEFT KON WITH URYUU!" Ichigo's grimace etched deeper into his face as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Don't worry about that, we have other resources. Right now we need to get somewhere secluded and away from innocent civilians." She said, heading toward the evil source.

From the classroom window, Uryuu noted their pace as they headed away from the building. "Looks like something is going on and they didn't even bother to let me know about it. Hmph." Stuffing his things into his backpack, he hurried out of the school. "It seems like I'm going to have to invite myself to the party." He murmured to himself as he slid into the alleyway adjoining the street Rukia and Ichigo traveled.

The creature loomed into view a few blocks later, and the urgency of Rukia's tone was justified. The hollow easily stood as tall as a five story building, and was covered in long sharp spikes. Its body writhed within itself, and its form took on the long spindly essence of a snake. Several short clawed arms ran along its body in two lines that the hollow used to erect itself. The hollows grotesque mask stared blankly at the two of them with unseeing eyes, like two black holes burning into their souls.

Seeing them made the hollow feel agitated. It decided to let loose a huge bellow in their general direction.

Spit and slime drenched the poor unwilling victims. Ichigo wished that he had picked sooner to take his corporeal form. He decided to show his agitation by letting loose his own huge bellow. "ARGH! This is GROSS!"

Uryuu followed the commotion. "The best prey is the type that makes itself known – like the loud and obnoxious" he said to himself. "I'll never have to worry about Ichigo getting away."

Ichigo wiped the slime from his face on the sleeve of his uniform and readied his stance. "I've had enough of this guy! All I've seen of this threat of yours is some goop and bad breath. I can take this guy out and be back at school in time for lunch." He thought about the promising meal of tempura shrimp and rice. "LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH!"

Rukia adjusted her glove. "We need to find some cover. Let's go behind that building over there." Ichigo ran after Rukia to the opposite side of the building, and as he turned the corner, he felt the cold slap of leather on his forehead. He looked just in time to see the telltale skull on her palm make contact with his face. He could only manage a snide remark in response to the surprise attack. "Damn you, Ru-…" His body collapsed, leaving the soul of Ichigo, continuing the comment. "Kia! Why do you ALWAYS do that to me! You get some kind of enjoyment out of that, don't you?!"

He didn't see the smile on Rukia's face as she ran past him. "No, not really." she said, matter-of-factly. "It's my job." She threw a sideways glance at Ichigo. "Well, are you ready?"

His thin scowl turned up at the corners. "I'm always ready."

Ichigo customarily ran up to the hollow to challenge its presence. "HEY! YOU! What do you think you're doing around here! Didn't you know this is a no ugly zone?" His Zanpakuto slid easily from its sheath, displaying its awesome size.

Rukia and Uryuu had one simultaneous thought: Was he crazy!?

Apparently, the hollow did not even notice Ichigo. The original instance at which it spewed goo seemed to be a fluke.

Nothing makes Ichigo angrier than not being heard. His eyes were like daggers as he spoke.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME? I JUST TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE UUUUUGGGGLLLLLYYYYY!!!"

The hollow breathed in deeply, now realizing the smell of a particularly tasty soul. It seemed to be coming from a small source very close by. Upon inspection, he observed a small orange haired object hopping around making some agitating sounds. It was waving a sword the size of its body around, seemingly trying to get attention. Feeling a bit peckish, the monster loomed over the morsel. It was the hollow's lucky day it seems, for not only was the snack it was about to ingest a source of powerful energy, it was also a soul reaper.

"Why, hello there little one. You are fortunate enough to become my dinner." It's arms elongated, adding several sections to its already dangerous barbs. "Is there anything you wish to say before I ingest you? Not that it really matters, anyway." Its voice was raspy and deep.

The creature lunged at its prey. It curled around the area that Ichigo stood. Now that the creature was close enough, he could observe tiny serrated spikes along its body, gnashing and grinding together as its body writhed. Suddenly, this situation got a little trickier.


	2. Things Get Worse

This is the second chapter for Twisted, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the review, it keeps me going. By the way, this chapter is still rated Teen for language, but I promise the mature part will be coming up shortly.

Disclaimer: Bleach is not owned by me, but if I don't tell you guys this, Tite Kubo will own me. I'll be pwnd.

Chapter Two: Things Get Worse

Uryuu's eyebrows furrowed. "I can't see Ichigo anymore. That hollow has completely surrounded him with its body." he muttered to himself. "That strawberry has really got himself into a situation now." His teeth gritted at the thought. As much as Ichigo and Uryuu argued with each other, he couldn't stand the thought of a hollow getting the upper hand. Soul reaper or not, Kurosaki had to be rescued.

Rukia could only stand and stare at the predicament. Even if she wanted to help Ichigo get free, she didn't have enough spirit energy to take that creature on. She could only suffer in silence while her protégé's life lay in fate's hands.

Ichigo was the only person in the scenario who seemed to be calm. He quickly calculated his moves. His first attack came quickly, right into the underbelly of the hollow. The result came as a surprise; instead of piercing a fragile stomach, his sword only caught more sharp points. He pulled the sword away, but not before a chip was taken out of its edge. "Its body is fully armored." Ichigo surmised. This was making the job a little more difficult….and fun.

His second maneuver was to jump up the coils and out of his steely prison. This proved to be a difficult maneuver, or not only did the hollow's body writhe around him, but the individual spikes moved as well. A seriating motion was made between the blades, sawing back and forth. The movement was warning enough. Ichigo tested his plan, jumping up on the first coil of hollow. His placement and steps were perfect, landing on a flat of a blade. "So far so good", he thought to himself as he prepared for the next ascent.

"Where do you think you're going, little soul?" the hollow turned inward to face Ichigo, looming closer to its prey. "I expect you to become my nourishment!" With that the hollow tensed, and its spikes became rigid. The flat that Ichigo perched precariously turned to the side, causing him to lose balance. Not entirely, off balance it seems, for Ichigo still attempted to reach a higher coil. He jumped further.

The hollow growled in anger and shifted yet again. This time, the spikes lay flat against its body, creating a smooth surface to which Ichigo could not grasp. With a squeak, he slid back down to the ground below.

Not one of the three could have predicted what happened next. It happened fast – too fast. From the outside both Rukia and Uryuu stifled a gasp when the hollow closed its steely body around Ichigo, and then in one deft movement constricted the barbs to create an iron maiden, intending to eviscerate its prisoner. Ichigo brought up his Zanpakuto horizontally to stop the writhing spikes from piercing his body. He gritted his teeth as he kept the blade perpendicular to the enclosing walls of the hollow, and sweat beaded his brow as the space became cramped and stifling.

_I……can't….breathe! _he thought, clinging to his consciousness. By his sheer will power alone, Ichigo kept his eyes forced open and his body alert. At any second, the steel prison in which he resided could collapse, fortifying his end.

Uryuu and Rukia both cried out in dismay. From their perspective, the hollow collapsed in on itself, sealing Ichigo in metal confinement. So much so that it seemed impossible that anything inside would have remained intact. They both knew that something had to be done – and fast, or the hollow could make short work of Ichigo.

Uryuu jumped from one rooftop to the next in attempt to close the distance between him and the hollow. Now that the hollow had directed its attention inward it was oblivious to anything around it, making it seem to Uryuu that its outside defenses would also prove to house some weakness. Raising his right hand encircled with an eloquent cross charm, he called on his innate Quincy abilities. An explosion of the air around him signified the calling of Lone Sparrow. The bluish light formed into that of a bow and with his left hand he reached toward the center of the cross, pulling from it an arrow made of the same spiritual energy. Like a laser beam, the arrow sliced through the air, tearing at high speed toward the hollow.

Then it disappeared.

Rukia could not stand by any longer. She had to try something - anything. Forming the correct hand symbols, the incanted the strongest kido she dared without harming Ichigo inside. "Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Number 63! Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!" Two balls of blue flame hurled at the beast as Rukia clenched her fists in anticipation. They made contact with the hollow, but instead of destroying the beast, the orbs vanished.

Rukia's mouth dropped in astonishment. "That should've…..that would've…!"

"……destroyed it, at least its shell…." Uryuu murmured under his breath.

Rukia's GPA twittered annoyingly at her. A glance indicated it was a GPS transmission in regards to the hollow. According to the readout, the spirit energy that came in contact with the hollow did not just disappear. "in fact, the hollow actually….absorbed the energy!" Rukia exclaimed. "That could explain why the hollow has survived for so long…and could have killed so many Soul Reapers…."

Any normal person, would have not made it this far. Any shinigami would have accepted defeat, meeting a steely end. Ichigo is the only person who would taunt a hollow before the onslaught of his death.

"IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO, YOU OVERGROWN INCH WORM!?! You actually had me worried at first, how I see that this rough exterior is all for show!" Ichigo started to emit a strange glow, like a bluish ethereal flame rising out of his body. "Now we'll see what you're really made out of!"

Rukia examined the output from the hollow intently. All of a sudden, the amount of spiritual energy started climbing at an exponential rate. "Oh no - Ichigo!" She remembered the amount of untamable power that Ichigo contained in his natural state. "All this spiritual pressure is going to cause him to overload….and I don't even want to know what will happen then! "ICHIGO!" she cried. "STOP!"


	3. Ishida's Sacrifice

Welcome back, thank you for your interest in my story! I originally wanted to post more, but I thought this would build some suspense. This is rated Teen mostly for language but it does get a little bloody. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. This is only a fan's interpretation of something that already exists. Darn.

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Chapter 3: Ishida's Sacrifice

Ichigo's rage increased and he felt the customary surge in power from his Soul Reaper entity. Now he felt like he could get something accomplished, rather than this stalemate that he now endured. Shifting to an attack stance he prepared to burst from his steel cage and eviscerate the hollow.

Suddenly he sensed a pulse, and it felt as though the air was knocked out of his chest. He tried to take a breath, but none would come. It felt as though his very life force was being pulled, drained from his body and sucked away from him at a rapid pace. His pupils narrowed until they were almost pin-sized, and he could barely manage a strained guttural scream as pain shot through his body.

It was as though he were falling deep into the crushing blue sea, the weight against his body was so great. Ichigo struggled to stay conscious; he felt the veins in his face bulging. If he didn't do something, he felt he would surely implode. Feverishly, he begged his muscles to move, his limbs to respond – but he was suspended in this state, unable to do anything and forced to endure the pain.

Rukia watched as the energy spiked on the GPA. "This is unbelievable; I've never seen so much energy accumulating in one hollow!" Her mind raced with ideas, but none produced a favorable outcome. She was helpless, utterly helpless. A form landed beside her, and startled, she looked up. "Ishida? What are you…?"

"Never mind the chit chat, Reaper. Do you have a plan?" Ishida's eyes burned with hatred, she could clearly see – but aside from that, there was a look of concern for Ichigo's well being that could not be so easily hidden. He crossed his arms and waited for a reply.

"….No. I can't think of anything," she sighed. "The strongest kido I have may do harm to Ichigo inside of that metal beast…"

"Well, you can't just stand there and do nothing! We have to think, we have to try something." Uryuu pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It seems that this beast absorbs the energy that it comes in contact with, right?"

"YES, THAT IS TRUE LITTLE ONE," a voice boomed across the sky "AND SOON, I WILL HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO DESTROY THIS WHOLE DIMENSION! EVERYTHING WILL BE DESTROYED, ALL BY ME, BAKUHATSU JOUTEN!"

Rukia stifled a gasp. She recognized that name. Bakuhatsu Jouten was a Menos Grande, and more powerful than most of the hollows residing in Hueco Mundo. The last incident said to have been caused by Bakuhatsu was the rift between the Soul Society and the human world. This incident happened so long ago that most people thought of this event as a fairytale; yet here it was, and history seemed to be repeating itself.

"I can't stand by and let innocent people be killed by a monster like you." Uryuu stated. "By my honor as a Quincy, that is something I can't allow!" Ishida's mind raced, sifting though every feasible plan he could think up. Only one seemed to stand out, but he could not be sure until it was in motion. With his fists clenched and his lips stretched in a thin grimace he called to Rukia. "If I don't make it, tell Ichigo….that he owes me."

With that he raced up to the quivering mass of blades. As his hand stretched out to the body of the hollow, he called on his bow. Uryuu grunted in pain as the razor-like barbs tore through his arm and up his shoulder. It seemed to lock his arm in the monster, its gyrating blades unable to move around the appendage. Meanwhile his bow flared with immeasurable power, causing an intense ache. Waves of power ripped though his body as he struggled to focus. He could barely reach toward his bow string and draw an arrow; it seemed so slow and painstaking. Where to shoot? He thought to himself. Aiming to the sky, he hoped to himself that the heavens could forgive him for the volley of arrows he was about to rain. Grimacing in intense pain, he fired off his first shot.

The hollow, sensing a draw in power shuddered and turned its serrated body toward the source. Uryuu cried out, the blades digging deep into this body and dragging him across the ground. Bolts of energy went flying toward Ishida, sure to destroy the human draining its power.

The bolts changed direction just before impact. It seemed that a barrier was erected around Uryuu at the last second.

"- Mirror Door!" exclaimed Rukia, hands knotted in the symbol of binding. She was able to incase Uryuu in a barrier before the hollow was able to complete the deed.

"I've got to make this work," Uryuu grunted, and as fast as he could muster, fired several arrows directed at the sun.

Inside the steel structure, Ichigo could hear the sounds of battle and the shout of Uryuu. "That idiot, he whispered to himself. "What did he get himself into this time?" His eyes rolled upwards and his focus swayed. "After I get out of here, I'll probably have to save him, that damn princess." A surge of power disrupted his thoughts and just as suddenly sheared the Zanpakuto in half, collapsing in on itself due to the strain. The mass of daggers caved in on Ichigo, impaling him numerous times through his body. He didn't even have the energy to curse.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter! 

- If there are any Japanese readers out there, I hope I didn't offend anybody. Bakuhatsu Jouten is a name I made up. Its translation is roughly god of explosion (or detonation). I thought it sounded pretty cool, but if it's not correct I would appreciate feedback.


	4. Konnani? the Barbarian

Here's chapter four!

Chapter 4: KON(nani?!) the Barbarian

Kon fell out of Uryuu's backpack carelessly strewn on a rooftop several yards away. "I have been struggling to get out of there for half an hour and nobody bothered to help!" He exclaimed. Kon looked around quickly, and realized that no one was there. "On top of that everybody left me!" he yelled, flailing his arms up and down.

A wave of spiritual power caught his attention, and he turned his head in time to see a blue light streak into the sky. "Whoa! That can't be good!" Making off in that direction, he shook off the doily clinging to his leg and marched – right off the side of a building. "AAAAAHHHHHH!" the surprised Kon yelped as the fell and landed with a soft thud. "I guess there are benefits to being trapped in a stuffed body." he remarked, dusting himself off.

Setting off towards his desired goal, Kon stumbled into Ichigo's discarded body, cleverly tucked away next to a dumpster. "This may come in handy…" he rubbed his paws together. "Now all I have to do is find a way to get out of this body." After several attempts at removing himself from the stuffed animal, most notably hitting himself on the back of the head, punching himself in the chest and assuming 'the hairball' maneuver on all fours, he was finally able to position himself over Ichigo's body and roll the mod soul pill out of one mouth and into the other. The doll plopped lifelessly onto Ichigo's chest, and Kon, now in control of the human body, picked up his former shell, and recovered Uryuu's book bag. I've got to figure out a better way to do that…" he mumbled. "You know, just in case of an emergency…" A crackle of light and a rumble that shook the ground turned his attention to the matter at hand. "Like now! Time to boogie!"

Kon bounded through town, jumping on rooftops and running through the streets. With Kon's natural agility it took no time at all to reach downtown, the source of the disturbance. "How rude of them to leave me behind when there's danger a foot! I'm their mascot, the pillar of strength and leadership!" Pointing his finger dramatically in the air as he assumed a pose; one leg bent with the foot perched on top of a barrel, while the other stayed firmly planted on the ground. "In a soft plushy body of course," he added, thinking of the appeal his cushy exterior could have on members of the female population. This warm thought quickly dissipated as a huge hollow loomed into view.

It was a grotesque scene; Uryuu's twisted body was suspended in place with dagger-like spikes, his bloodied right arm guiding Lone Sparrow toward the sky and his left arm limp and dangling, his pose resembling a crucifixion. Blood ran from his wounds in several trails down his left arm, dripping from his fingertips. The hollows' long body was curled in on itself at the moment seemingly uninterested in its environment. There was Rukia, maintaining a cautious distance from the beast…but where was Ichigo?

Kon witnessed Ishida's agony as his fingertips reached for another arrow and fired it off into the sky. Somehow this hollow was gaining an enormous amount of power – he could feel the spiritual pressure and its strength, yet equally Uryuu was draining that power with every shot. Kon understood how Uryuu's power as a Quincy draws others' spiritual energy to channel, rather than contributing his own. So Ishida's plan was to weaken the creature, Kon surmised. "That must mean it's time to mount an offensive!" he shouted. He leaped easily on the hollow, making fast jabs of footwork between the metal spikes. Drawing energy out of the hollow seemed to weaken its defense, since now the blades were brittle, some even crumbling as Kon kicked out at them.

"NO!" Bakuhatsu flared rising up, disgusted with mortals ruining his feast. Uryuu's body dangled helplessly as the creature thrashed around, the blades digging deeper with every move. A section of the hollow's body housing Ichigo suddenly collapsed, and Rukia screamed.


	5. A shinigami Emerged

Here is the next chapter - sorry it took a while, but it's longer than all previous chapters (to make up for it). I read it a couple of times and I made a lot of changes, so I'm not surprised if I go back again for more. Let me know what you think! Rated Mature for language and some sexual content - I finally got to some juicy bits, I promise more detail in the next chapter.

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A Shinigami Emerged...

Ichigo wavered slightly. It seemed that for a moment he was still suspended in the metal construct, his body contorted and bloodied. That moment seemed to last forever for the onlookers - his friends. Ichigo collapsed, and Kon caught him before he touched the ground.

Handing him to Rukia, Kon eyed her determinatively. "Take him, and keep him away from here!"

"I can't just…" she stammered.

"GO! NOW!" Kon shoved Rukia toward an alley "_We_ have to handle this."

Bakuhatsu, even though it was weakened by their onslaught, still had quite an insurmountable flow of spirit energy. With Ichigo out of its grasp, the heroes were at least on improved footing; equal seemed more than a stone's throw away.

Kon hurried to Ishida. It did not even seem he were conscious until he reached up with his bloodied fingers to pull another arrow back. Sheer will power and determination were the only things keeping him going, but from what the mod soul could see, that was not going to last for much longer. As he drew closer to Uryuu, the gaunt figure spoke.

"Get out of here. There's nothing you can do. I'll finish this." His words were strained and deliberate, his total concentration on absorbing the spirit energy from Bakuhatsu. Dark shadows from his hair covered his eyes in an impenetrable black, but his voice was more than enough to deter Kon's approach. His quick pace almost halted.

Conflicting spiritual pressure seemed to be disrupting the hollow as well, and the pressure emanating from the power struggle weighed very heavily on the surroundings. The air around them screamed.

"And get yourself killed? What will that solve? I'm not going to let you die."

"Leave, or we'll both be dead for nothing! Just make sure…that Ichigo survives…"

"He's fine; I left him in Rukia's care." Kon argued.

Uryuu was so focused on counteracting the spiritual energy that he did not notice that Ichigo was gone. A quick confirmation of his spirit energy indicated he was weak, but still alive. "Heh. He's left me to do all the dirty work." he smirked.

Kon could see Uryuu's spiritual pressure deteriorating rapidly. He had to do something – and quick…but what?

* * *

Where's Uryuu? Ichigo whispered, barely audible. "I need to…"

"Quiet! You're too injured to speak. Stow it for later." came the agitated female voice.

"I need to tell…him…" as he fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

It was a snowball's chance in hell it would work, but he had an idea. Kon didn't like the idea at all that much; with the surmounting power built in the hollow, he could very well be killed alongside Uryuu. It was the best chance they had though, and they would only be able to get through this together. 

"I'm going to regret this…" Kon pouted.

As a mod soul, Kon knew that he possessed heightened stamina, speed, and agility, even some minor regenerative ability. The only way this power could be used was to inhabit a body, the result pushing the soul out of possessed body if one originally resided inside. What if Kon held onto the body that he inhabited, but forced some of his power into Uryuu? That way, Uryuu would retain his consciousness as well as receive some of his innate mod soul capabilities. It was worth a try.

Bakuhatsu thrashed at Uryuu's barrier, erected by Rukia and fortified by himself. "I will crush your little soul and your power will become mine!"

If there were any moment for Kon to spring into motion, now was the time to do it. From what he could see, the hollow sliced at the barrier this last time and the tiniest sliver split from the shield. This caused the whole barrier to destabilize, shattering into thousand of tiny glittering shards which landed at his feet.

Kon bounded up to Ishida's captive position, and he cupped Uryuu's head in his hands. His eyes "Here goes…everything…" Kon breathed.

Kon set Ichigo's lips upon Uryuu's. As they pressed, he slowly slid into Uryuu the mod soul pill carefully wrapped in his tongue. The reaction was quick, and shot through him like electricity. Kon braced himself, knowing that the innate Quincy ability to absorb spiritual power at this proximity could be catastrophic: He feared that this forced transfer may cause harm to not only Uryuu and his own essence, but to Ichigo's body as well.

Uryuu was too weak to protest the entrance of the mod soul. An indescribable feeling came upon him along with a rush of warmth and excitement. The searing pain that he had been keeping intentionally blocked from his mind now was replaced by a euphoric sensation, rejuvenating and restoring. He rolled the pill over his tongue, sensing the power conducted through his body. It had a sweet taste, though he wasn't sure if the flavor derived from the mod soul...or of Ichigo. Then the pill was extracted - Uryuu's eyes flickered open and he gazed upon Ichigo's face. Somehow, he thought, he looked…different. He did not register that it was Kon in a shell of Ichigo's body, he seen Ichigo himself, right before his eyes.

Spiritual changes in Lone Sparrow manifested as well; the light blue color normally exhibited now visibly shown as prismatic white. A spiritual flare rose through Ishida; like a tidal wave of power rushing out of him all at once. His eyes shot at Ichigo again, and this time they glistened with the same white prism, a pattern of color splayed onto his glasses. His hair whipped in the spiritual ebb and flow around him.

Kon had a feeling that he should back off…now. Transferring some power was only half of it, now he had to monitor what exactly happened to Ishida. Internally, Kon had never experimented himself - or have heard of experiments like this - with the Quincy. All he knew is that they exhibited spiritual power much differently than Soul Reapers, and that much is evident. With the extent of power the Quincy now held, he felt the tides turn in their favor.

A blurring slice through the heavens severed Uryuu's restraint to the hollow. It resembled only a beam of light, but Kon knew better. It was like a spiritual blade, much like the Quincy arrow, that sheared through the hollow's body and exploded into the ground. After the dust cleared, the Quincy stood alone, looking very different than the sight held moments ago. Instead of his traditional blue cross attire, his accents took a red hue. Like the paths of blood that ran to his finger tips seconds before, blood-like embroidery accented the cuffs and along the collar of his long white coat. Over his right shoulder blazed a shining wing-like arc, a fiery quiver only few have seen, let alone manifested at this day and age. Crimson gloves covered his hands that were once bloodied the same color. Adjusting his glasses slightly, he turned to face the hollow.

Kon gasped. This _was_ Ishida. He could tell. What the hell happened?

Bakuhatsu reared and growled deeply. It seemed that the beast had time to recover now that Uryuu and severed the connection. One whisper remained on Kon's lips. What would happen now?

The next few seconds were a blur, the Quincy dodging this way and that, rolling past blasts of spiritual energy. First he was there - but no, now he was…gone? Rematerialized here, there, then behind the hollow…he fired a singular shot.

Kon gasped. What was he thinking? The hollow absorbed spiritual energy, wouldn't firing an arrow effectively make Bakuhatsu stronger?!

The resounding crash that followed contradicted his thoughts. Black fluid spilled forth from the neck of the hollow and it reached up in surprise. It seemed that Kon wasn't the only one who wondered how.

Uryuu didn't falter. The ethereal flame encircling his body flared as he stood directly _in front_ of the hollow now (when did that happen?), his power seemingly increasing with every step. "Do you know why you suffer, _Jouten_?" His mouth dripped with sarcasm at the name. "Because _you_ are weak. Your existence is a waste." He produced a fist and tightened his grasp. "Now I know your weakness, and how to exploit it."

Like death incarnate, Uryuu's spiritual energy flickered malevolently; long blood colored ribbons trailing down his arms, the dark threatening glare in his eye. "Your abilities are similar to mine…you just…_take_ it." With that Uryuu reached out his hand toward the collapsed pile of the hollows' snake like tail. Immediately the pile shuddered and dematerialized into particles, infusing to the wing at his shoulder.

Kon thought he understood now. Ishida and Bakuhatsu existed as two separate entities; when they came together, they acted like two magnets with polar attraction did and repelled each others' power. However, when one magnet is more intense than the other, the strongest absorbs all energy. _Not like a Soul Reaper_, he reflected. _Their source of power lies in their own potential - the Quincy can draw strength from_ any_ surrounding particles consisting of spirit energy_. "If he can absorb the hollows power and use it against him, he is essentially destroying itself _with_ itself!" Kon concluded.

As if he heard him, Uryuu leered. There was a howl as he fired off a few more shots in the monster's direction - at least one of those bolts pierced. Even though it was injured it still moved quickly, making for a difficult battle. Bakuhatsu twisted and writhed, meanwhile shooting several bolts towards Uryuu. By jumping, dodging, and phasing to multiple locations, it seemed that the Quincy overcame the beast.

Bakuhatsu began to move sluggishly, his essence dissipating exponentially. With no fuel source and an abundance of energy dispelled, it seemed that the hollow was nearing its end. It attempted to rip a dimensional portal to escape and mend its life-force, while spitting curses at the human entity that caused so much havoc.

"I will return, and I will _kill_ you!" the hollow roared.

Kon watched in amazement as Ishida materialized in between the hollows eyes and hovered for a split second. "You won't get the chance." Uryuu hissed, and unleashed a bolt at the pinnacle of his spiritual charge. Like that, the hollows mask exploded into dust, the remains of its face dropping to the ground with a thud. There was a sound of air escaping from the corpse as Ishida drew in the rest of the hollows form. "Good riddance." He concluded as the hollow's remains collected in the arc at his shoulder. "One less abomination in this world."

* * *

So what did you think? This chapter was hard to write - nothing came out the way I wanted it to. the title 'A shinigami emerged' was refering to the death god feel Uryuu displayed, but it may imply more... 

I also wanted to note that I am currently working on a Resident Evil bit with KevinxDavid to get rid of the mental block I experienced for this chapter. I knew what I wanted to say, I just couldn't type it! Anyway, if you like my work, check that one out too.


	6. An Angel's Embrace

Sorry this update took so long. I wanted to slow down and really work out this part, especially from now on. I might even revamp it if I don't like it, but here it is. Rated Mature for language mostly, maybe some violence. Some situational yaoi if you think about it. Please review, or I'll take the hint and not write anymore. :(

* * *

An Angel's Embrace

In a move faster than a flash step he was beside Ichigo. Rukia could hardly believe her eyes; it seemed as though Uryuu appeared from nowhere, yet here he was carefully inspecting and assessing damage to the tattered spirit. What was this malevolent glow around him? What had happened while she shielded Ichigo inside this warehouse?

Uryuu's eyes narrowed as he shot a glance towards Rukia. "Tell Kon to get Ichigo's body back here…NOW." The tone in his voice offered no room for argument. As Rukia hurried out of the building, she noted that his foreboding voice harbored something else – a tremble of concern.

Uryuu knelt beside Ichigo and examined the bloody mess that was left of his soul. His reiraku and chain of fate were shredded – not a good sign. Breaths came in shallow ragged gasps and he knew that there wasn't much longer until the inevitable. A large part of Uryuu was content to see a soul reaper suffer…but now there was a new emotion that kept tugging at his attention.

He had grown accustom to having Ichigo around.

_Don't you die on me, you damn soul reaper,_ he thought to himself. _I'll pluck you out of Hell myself, if I have to._ He ran his fingers over his cheek and through the matted orange hair, damp with sweat. His grimace was indication to Uryuu that Ichigo was determined to hold on for as long as he could.

* * *

A field…of white flowers…. The sky was so blue… with wisps of white clouds floating lazily by… A breeze drifted through, stirring his hair and bringing a fresh crisp smell of a cool summer day… 

The field faded to white, but the feeling of peace remained.

_What is this? What happened?_

He thought he heard a voice…

It was calling his name…

"Ichigo…can you hear me?"

_Yeah...but I can't see you…_

"Ichigo, I'm here…"

"Open your eyes…" the voice urged.

That voice. He heard it before – it was so familiar.

"Your eyes, Ichigo. It's raining."

Traces of memory rippled through his consciousness, but were as fleeting as the water droplets falling onto his cheek; they lightly touched the surface, then slipped way as soon as he came close to remembering. It was hard to focus, his concentration eluded him…

It hurt to think.

"Do you remember, Ichigo?

He didn't _want_ to…

Do you remember _me_?

It was a simple question that begged an answer. He felt compelled to respond…

Opening his eyes, he made out a faint image of a dark figure. The sky darkened with rain and lightning, making it hard to see anything. A billowing cloak surrounded the person, worn and tattered at the ends, and he could only make him out during the flashes of light.

"It always rains, Ichigo - every time you feel pain."

_I don't feel anything right now…_

"I wish I could ease your sorrow..." The voice faded.

"So much pain…"

* * *

Kon was not far behind. Due to the intense speed, he was barely able to detect the direction Uryuu traveled to get to Ichigo. The best he could do was to plot a course and sprint in a general direction. Kon's legs took large strides, almost seeming to fly through the air with each jump. He kept scanning the ground, looking for any sign of Rukia, Ichigo or Uryuu. He kept reaching out with his mind to feel any familiar spirit energy. There. He felt a strong presence, from the right. He couldn't quite understand what the signature was, it kept changing and fluctuating. It wasn't a hollow, so he landed and entered the building. 

As he neared the door it burst open and a person collided with him. He caught his balance as well as the girl who ran into him.

"I found the right place!" he said as he looked down at Rukia. He extended his hands and found that he caught her right by the chest.

"THAT'S a lucky break!" He remarked and his smile couldn't have been wider. He could have sworn his nose started bleeding…

"You JERK!" she yelled, and slugged him in the chin. "You're out here goofing around while Ichigo's…" she trailed, unable to finish the sentence.

"Dying. I know." Kon sobered up quickly meanwhile rubbing the smarting lump on his chin. "I'm here now, so there must be something we can do."

They both sided Ichigo's spirit. Uryuu's stare was locked onto the shattered soul lying there. His eyes flickered toward the newcomers.

"It's about time." He snarled, and snapped his hand to the back of Kon's head. The pill popped out fast and into Uryuu's waiting hand. He handed the pill to Rukia and watched body and soul reunite. It wasn't a pretty sight as all of Ichigo's spiritual damage entered his physical body, blood seeping from now material wounds.

_Don't you die, Ichigo. Don't even think about it._

Rukia inserted the pill inside of the lion plush as Uryuu spoke. "You two. Get out of here." His voice was malevolent and threatening. He glanced up at the startled companions and changed his tone. "I need you to leave; I can't ensure your protection. I believe I know what I need to do, but it's nowhere near safe – for any of us." They nodded in understanding and he smirked in appreciation. In a flash, the darker glare returned. "Out. Now." He commanded, and they left without a word.

Alone, Uryuu stretched out his hands and looked down at the blood red gloves. Something felt wrong. This power he harbored was tearing at his insides, causing him more pain than the ordeal with Jouten. Through the seething ache he could feel the energy trying to force its way from deep in his core. It was hot under his skin like his body was itching and burning all at the same time. Dread filled his mind – what was this feeling of hatred rising inside him? It felt as though a clamp locked his brow and there was a deep throbbing from his subconscious that was almost primal, like something was trying to get out. _Enough of this_, he thought. _If there is one thing left that I can do, it is to help Ichigo. He will be left in my stead to help the innocent if_...he let the last notion drop.

He could feel his time was short – something was going to happen, and soon.

There was a distinct chirping sound from Rukia's GPA as they cleared a safe distance from the warehouse. The cursed under her breath as she fumbled for the device, it had been shoved hurriedly into Uryuu's back pack at the request that they leave the building. Her hands trembling, she launched the hollow program. The beeping almost had a disturbed tone as it poured out information of the façade – immense power was racking up from Uryuu's physical form.

"Human bodies can't withstand this type of energy!" she exclaimed. "What on Earth is happening here?"

Kon flopped onto the ground in exhaustion. It was much harder to keep up with Rukia in this tiny form as he hopped, skipped, and jumped - every trick he could with his small body. Eventually he resorted to grabbing hold of her uniform skirt and holding on for dear life. He probably could have kept an even stride with her – but his was a better view, he thought. He turned to see her dig out the small transceiver and balk at the screen. Apparently the readout had an unfavorable report.

"What's wrong?" he asked, climbing up her side to the shoulder. What awaited him was a disclosure of massive energy buildup from the device. "Oh," was all he could muster.

From inside the building the spiritual pressure was suffocating. Energy was swirling throughout the room like a spiritual tidal wave as Uryuu focused on closing Ichigo's wounds. Somehow with this newfound strength he was able to lash out at any particular target while still keeping control of the flow of unending force within him. He knew in is gut he could help Ichigo; he set out with his mind, extending his arms in front of him while kneeling over the essence of Ichigo. Willing the might of spiritual pressure from within, he silently hoped that his plan would work.

The chaotic wind tunnel ceased abruptly. Almost instantly a white, prismatic light emanated at Uryuu's fingertips. The glow brightened and extended to the man lying below him, seemingly caressing the battered form. Manipulating the essence was extremely difficult, and beads of sweat creased his brow as he directed his efforts to the most serious of wounds first.

To any onlooker the process seemed ethereal and effortless on the part of Uryuu, but the contorted expression would have given away the intricacy of how difficult the procedure was. Relying only on instinct and will power, he exerted his spiritual presence to bond Ichigo's soul and body back together. The gashes were seamlessly joined, and it appeared as if no injury had ever occurred. It was miraculous and spellbinding; even after the task was completed and Uryuu collapsed onto the ground in unconsciousness, the scene was peaceful and calm.

Rukia noted an exponential climb in power, then started to feel the hairs on her neck rise and her skin crawl. The essence was intoxicating; she felt her soul buckle under the force and her arms become heavy and useless. Kon was not effected by the shift in power she observed as he looked worried about his friends current position. "What's wrong Rukia?" he mouthed, realizing a sudden absence in sound. He picked up the GPA and witnessed a chain reaction of spiritual energy as the world seemed to suck and bend around the building that housed Ichigo and Uryuu. Then, a crystal light exploded from the warehouse. It was not a typical eruption – the light seemed to fall toward the heavens in a meandering floating way, almost angelic in appearance and just as breathtaking.

It seemed like she was also floating, caught up in the moving sight before her. The white was so dazzling and pure, and she never in all her days on Earth or in the Soul Society seen something so amazing. It almost felt as though she crashed back to earth as the ethereal light subsided. An empty sensation filled her as the last of that light died away.

Kon was mystified as well. Even though the pressure on him wasn't that difficult to manage, the blinding light left more to be desired and left a sensation of longing in his soul. What the hell _was_ that?

"Come on," Rukia stated as she stumbled to her feet. "We have to make sure they're alright!" Her mind raced with the possibilities – if the effect on her was that great from a distance, Ichigo and Uryuu could have been crushed at ground zero. Did they survive?


	7. The Road to Recovery

Well, this is it the next chapter. I soaked a lot of blood sweat and tears into this...well - not exactly. My computer died, and I got a cold...better than the other way around I guess. There's lot of dialouge and this chapter was starting to get really long, so I broke it up into a couple of parts. I, also, notice; that, I, use a lot; of comas and semicolons. I'm trying to break the habit :)

* * *

The Road to Recovery…

"Ichigo…"

_That voice…_

It felt as though the voice was coaxing him to answer, like finding a path out of the darkness.

"Can you still hear me?"

_Yeah, but I can't…_

"Try not to struggle. Your body and soul have been reunited, no small feat. Moving may rupture the bond."

_I understand…but who are you?_

"Do not waste energy asking questions you already know the answer to."

He tried to force open his eyes. There was a cloudy mist, and as he blinked back the sleep, a field of white flowers unfolded before him. _What is this place?_

"This is a manifestation I have created in your mind. I have brought you here to protect you from the pain of seireishuuzen – soul mending."

A speck of red across his vision, then it was gone. Traces of the color dotted his thoughts and an image of a steel prison flashed before him.

_I'm…healed? I should be dead_… A veil fell away in his memory and a horrible feeling emerged, full of pain and agony. His life ebbed away as soon as those steely knives entered his body, slicing through his muscles and scraping across bone, trapping him in a vice. In that moment his life was ended, and the empty pang of death struck him: So this was the feeling that still clutched at his insides, dull and shifting like a writhing snake.

"Is he alive?" he heard a new voice, now. It was further away, and he had almost thought it was his imagination at first. It was a pleasant sound, deep and melodic.

"Yes, but you should not interfere. Your presence here has already disrupted the flow of his spiritual energy. Keeping your exposure to a minimum…would be in both of your interests."

Ichigo looked around in his limited field of vision. Limited was an understatement; his head felt too heavy to lift or even move from side to side. He craned his eyes downward to look across the field. Fuzziness still interfered with his vision; he blinked back – tears? – to try and improve the view. A fleeting bit of red again, but this time moving much slower than before. It seemed to be hovering before him, wavering in his bleary eyesight. No matter how much he tried, he could not focus.

"Very well, then. As long as…he'll be alright." The voice faltered and faded as Ichigo's eyesight started to darken.

_No…don't go yet! Tell me who you are!_ He felt as though he were screaming at the top of his lungs. There was no voice; he realized just then that he had not spoken a word through the whole ordeal. The world faded to black and as his consciousness slipped away, he desperately clung to the image that burned before his eyes.

A red ethereal flame that flickered in even his damaged eyesight, a white gleam flecked around it…like a malevolent angel, dark and light at the same time.

_Don't you die yet, soul reaper_, the voice stated. _We have unfinished business_…

* * *

Rukia, still reeling from the effects of the blast, could barely manage to prop herself up. Fortunately, her recovery process was moving along swiftly and after minimal lag, she started in her fastest pace. Kon despite his size won the race to the building and he scaled the wall to get a better view. There were advantages to being pint sized, he thought, as his body weight would hardly make any impact on the crumbling exterior. From here he could alert Rukia before she tried to enter if there was any danger of the building caving in around her.

Kon surveyed the area in an attempt to determine the stability of the rest of the structure. There was thick smoke and dust rising from the hole in the roof as he peered inside, trying to discern anything apart from the fog. As the smoke slowly dissipated, he smiled. There in the warehouse both Ichigo and Uryuu were miraculously unharmed; however the perimeter of the ceiling had been blown apart, leaving debris and concrete falling from dangerous heights. Something was odd, and as his vision of the two became more discernible he sucked in his breath.

From his aerial view he could see a perfect circle on the ground containing the two men, untouched by the crumbling particles of dust and dirt, seemingly impervious to the chaos around them.

"How is it possible that they're completely unharmed by all…this!" Kon gaped at the sight.

From what was left of the rooftop Kon seen Rukia barge through the front door and hurry to Ichigo and Uryuu. "Rukia, be careful!" Kon called to her. Sensing a shift in the building's integrity, there was no doubt in his mind; whatever miracle kept this building upright wasn't going to last much longer. Everyone needed to evacuate, before this structure would come crashing down on top of them.

The sagging, dangerous edifice around them differed from the sight of Ichigo and Uryuu. In that solitary area, the one piece of ground that remained intact, their bodies were posed as if merely sleeping. That sole place seemed peaceful amidst the impending destruction.

As he gazed on the peaceful sight, Kon came to a horrible realization: Where was their spiritual signatures?

"Ichigo…Wake up." Rukia whispered under breath. She gently pressed on his chest as if to wake him from a slumber. It seemed that Ichigo would pop awake and chide her in his regular sarcastic manner, but his eyes remained closed and his breathing shallow. She felt her stomach sink a little and she took up his hand in hers. "Ichigo…I'm sorry…" she started. This whole ordeal felt like her fault. In her gigai form, she was next to useless in a battle. To send Ichigo in her place – even if he was a powerful soul reaper – was a bad decision. This burden was hers to bear; she was responsible for his…

…death?

Wait. She checked his wounds. The blood and slice marks in his clothes remained, but the skin beneath was unbroken and perfect. "How is this possible!" she gasped. Uryuu's plan must have involved this, but no mortal could produce this type of result. In the midst of that thought, her look shot across to the other man. "Uryuu!" she cried out and lunged to his side.

Uryuu was sprawled on his side in a seemingly relaxed pose. Blood seeping from wounds indicated otherwise. The hue added a wicked dark pattern to the already red-stained attire, circling around and down the stitching. Rukia pushed him onto his back and felt for a pulse. His spiritual pressure was all but gone, and breath barely escaped his lungs.

Her focus shifted back to Ichigo, then to Uryuu. If she did not do something quickly, two men's deaths would be on her hands.

Kon fell with a plop from the ceiling. He brushed himself off with all haste while ranting. "Rukia, we got get out of here because if we don't the place is going to collapse and kill all of us so I suggest that we get moving NOW!" the words came out like a blur while tugging on Ichigo's orange hair and marching towards the nearest exit. "Come on we've got no time to lose!" To accentuate the remark, the structure shuddered around them.

"Now, now, now, now, now!" Ichigo's body was not moving at all from the small creatures advances. He pulled his hair, tugged at his clothes and hopped up and down on his chest. With a huff he sat down, arms crossed. "He won't budge!"

"I would be able to carry one of them to safe distance," Rukia looked disgusted. "but I don't think there will be enough time to…" she trailed, deep in thought. Her eyes swam as she shifted through various ideas.

"Thought that you might need some assistance, Miss Kuchiki" an ominous voice echoed from the front entrance. A tall, dark form stood, all but blocking the light emanating from the doorway. His billowing cloak floated in the cross breeze of the entrance and with a flick of his wrist, the fan in his hand flared open. It appeared to act as a signal, for three other figures emerged alongside him. Casually, he waved the fan to produce a breeze while his accomplices surged through the passage and towards the group. As the ominous figure stepped closer, Rukia recognized the half shaded face of Urahara, complete with green and white striped hat. Tessai, Ururu and Jinta moved in, extrapolating both of the injured men: Tessai draped Ichigo over his shoulder while Ururu and Jinta braced Uryuu by his arms and legs. Rukia looked on helplessly as they were carried away.

Urahara must have noticed the look. "There is still much to be done for your friends, Rukia. I suggest that your first priority is getting out of this building, or your role will be reduced substantially." He stepped back out of the building as the foundation shook angrily to support the statement, urging her to concede to his suggestion. Concrete slabs fell in large chunks, littering the floor, creating a dangerous path to the exit. The warehouse lurched again in a violent seizure, and the walls collapsed wholly.

Kon, who had been hiding behind Rukia during the appearance of Urahara, had suddenly jumped up and bolted for the door. "GET OTTA MY WAY!" Kon screamed past Urahara, leaving a trail of smoke and tears. Rukia was not far behind. As the stone and metal structure screeched around her, she neared the exit racing at breakneck speed. Her body protested as she kept the pace, but there was no time to think about pain now. The sound was deafening; she didn't even hear Kon's cry as he turned and viewed the magnitude of destruction with her still inside.

Stone and metal rained down on her, dust falling in her hair as she ran. She glanced up to see a huge boulder the size of a car, twisted with metal and rebar, hurtling towards her. Rukia's eyes widened at the approach of impending doom. It made a whistling sound as it fell through the air and it most assuredly would land on top of her within seconds. A gasp stuck in her throat, but was lost in the sound of the whole building caving in around her. She closed her eyes…

A swift tug pulled her away from harm through the entrance as her hand brushed falling concrete, solidly packing the doorway with rocks and dirt. She looked up at her savior to find that it was Urahara himself, still locked onto her arm. Rukia puzzled at his grasp; she never would have thought a mere store owner possessed such strength. His eyes were not visible under the shady brim of his hat, but his smile was enough indication that somehow this was a favorable turn of events. He let her arm drop. "Tha-." She started, rubbing her concrete bruised hand.

"Enough said, Miss Kuchiki," Urahara tipped his hat. "Now, if you don't mind." Bending forward at the hip, he graciously gestured for her to take the lead.

Rukia looked around, taking note of her surroundings. Ichigo and Uryuu had indeed made it out safely thanks to Urahara's posse. Kon was pouting several yards away, sitting with his arms crossed. "Kon?" she called.

"I'M NOT COMING ANYWHERE NEAR THAT MADMAN!" Kon pointed. Obviously, he had still not recovered from almost being killed by Urahara. "I'M FINE RIGHT HERE!"

The rest of the group had apparently taken no heed to Kon's rant; they were already half a block away, walking quickly towards the Urahara shop.

"HEY, WAIT!" Kon shouted as the skittered after them. "DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! RUKIA!" he wailed.

* * *

- Yay for Urahara! FYI: Kisuke was _very_ hard for me to capture IC. Hope I pulled it off! Review please! 


	8. Is a Hard Road Traveled

Part two of the set.

* * *

…Is a Hard Road Traveled

It was white, sterilized and plain in the emergency room set up at the Urahara shop for Ichigo and Uryuu. Both men looked as static and colorless as the room, save for their bloodied tattered clothing they sported on entry. Since then Urahara's employees had cleaned and dressed each of the men's wounds, replaced the red spattered attire for drab white garments. The two lay on cots that met in the middle of the room, the men facing opposite each other. Motionless and unyielding, the room felt isolated and static. In that small chamber, it felt as though time stood still. The silence was crushing.

Rukia stepped into the room. She had been dreading entering for the past two days for the fear of what she would see. Nothing had changed since the day they brought them in and set up the emergency quarters. The two lay there, barely breathing. Both had suffered grievous wounds.

To her, it very well could have been their death beds.

"Well then, how are we doing?" Urahara startled Rukia from her thoughts. She hadn't even heard him walk up behind her. It was a rhetorical comment, as he passed by her and waltzed over to the patients.

"How…" Rukia couldn't ask.

"Well they seem to be stable." Urahara finished the thought. "Ishida here has suffered quite an extensive bit of damage, not all of it physical, I'm afraid." There was a small monitor next to Uryuu that displayed his vitals, and Urahara checked it earnestly. "To be honest, I'm surprised that he's alive."

"And Ichigo?" Rukia breathed.

"Well that's what's puzzling." Urahara peered at her from under his hat. "His physical condition is perfect, thanks to Uryuu here." he gestured with his cane. "Damn near killed himself to do it, but I'll get to that."

The blankets were pulled away, revealing Ichigo's bare chest. There was hardly a scratch on him, save for a few scars from the past that had already healed over. Looking at his body, there was no indication that Ichigo had ever been in battle.

"Ichigo has no physical damage, so in all honesty he should be up and being a pain in the ass right now. I'm baffled at why he isn't, and I'm not quite sure how long he's going to stay in this comatose state." He adjusted the brim of his hat as he spoke. "Could be a few days, could be a month. Who knows?"

Rukia was somewhat relieved. At least Ichigo was no longer in harm's way. Unfortunately there was still the matter of Uryuu.

Urahara tapped the bed with his cane. "Ishida here is our main concern. Even though he's stable now, his condition can change at any given moment. He experienced quite a bit of both physical and spiritual damage, and it is still possible that he may die." His cloak swished as he turned to face Rukia. Urahara's factual tone was unnerving for even Rukia, the casual way he referred to death.

"This is the interesting part. When Ishida healed Ichigo, he was using energy that he absorbed to 'mend' his soul and body. From our tests, we could tell that his soul chain and soul sleep had been repaired recently. As far as I know, that is not a Quincy ability." Urahara added, watching Rukia's expression with interest.

"You see, the Quincy exert power towards a target to destroy or immobilize it; hence the difference between them and Soul Reapers." Urahara adjusted his sketchbook so that Rukia could see the stick-figure pictures.

_Now I know how Ichigo feels_. Rukia mumbled as the pages flipped by.

"Normally" Urahara continued, "the Quincy can harness ambient power in close proximity to bend into arrows. Their bow is also comprised of the same material. In essence, his spiritual energy only destroys what it comes in contact with, hence eliminating spirits altogether. What Ishida here did is…unprecedented. He used manifested spirit energy to bond Ichigo's spiritual and physical matter _back together_, which takes a tremendous amount of power. Not only did he gather spirit particles, he gathered an exuberant amount of energy while in his human state. That feat in itself is impossible."

He took a moment to let Rukia ponder over his words before he continued. "Instead of destroying, he created. Simple as that. And, he did it to help Ichigo." He shuffled toward the door and motioned her to follow. Her bare feet made a soft thud on the tatami mats, but the sound it made in the quiet chamber was unbearable. Before exiting the room, she cast a final glance at the two men. A whisper escaped her lips in prayer.

If anyone would be able to help, Urahara was the man. As he walked down the hall, she listened to the echoes of his footsteps fade, leaving the empty buzz of nothingness to comfort her. Rukia hated to admit it, but Urahara was the best thing outside the Soul Society in the way of medical treatment. She hoped that it wouldn't be long before she heard the two bickering back and forth at each other; she was starting to miss the sound.


	9. Getting Along

Well, here's the next part. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine, but at least I can pretend...

* * *

Getting Along

His body flew through the air. He never experienced such weightlessness - until now. "SSSSSSTTTTTTTTTOOOOPPPPPPPP!!!" Kon yelled at Ururu and Jinta while they playfully tossed his plush body back and forth.

"What's the matter, tough guy? This is fun!" Jinta chided as he sent Kon flying with a powerful swing from his bat. Ururu caught him skillfully and repelled him with a spinning roundhouse towards Jinta. Kon's head was spinning, tears streaming out of the corners of his eyes. Through the air again, he rocketed towards Jinta. "SUPER GROUNDER ATTACK! HAI!"

"WWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Just you wait, you little brats!" he responded. "I'm gonna –"

With a snap of two fingers, the commotion suddenly ended. Kon waited for the room to stop spinning; a few seconds had passed before he realized that he was no longer being tossed about. Carefully, his eyes popped open and he noticed the two children were suspended by Tessai, a miraculous event in itself. Kon was in the unrelenting hand of Urahara, and while that wasn't the most pleasant idea it was better than being target practice.

"We need to talk." He gazed at the mod-soul from under the wide brim of his hat. He sat the stuffed animal across from him, and continued his amused stare. The little lion was starting to wonder what was safer, the two brats that were trying to kill him, or the guy who had tried to kill him once already. One thing for certain, the smirk on Urahara's face was very unnerving. "About the battle."

"Look, I don't know what happened." Kon pouted. "All I know is that I thought I could increase Uryuu's power by lending him some of my own, I swear!" Kon danced around in place, flailing his arms. "I didn't know it was going to hurt him!" collapsing to the mat, he sighed.

"Actually, I already knew what happened. I have my sources." Urahara suddenly smiled. "I wanted to congratulate you. What you did back there was pretty quick thinking that saved a lot of innocent lives." Grey eyes sparkled back at Kon as his fan snapped up and waved lazily.

Kon was stunned. "Huh?"

"Look, I'm saying that whatever took place between you and Uryuu is not the reason that Uryuu is injured. So don't worry about it. You did a good job." He firmly stated as he rose back to his feet.

"Really?" Kon's eyes welled with joy. Was he finally getting the recognition he deserved? Was he finally going to be treated better, as an equal among colleagues? Was this an apology for trying to sell him out to the Soul Society as a renegade mod-soul? All of his hopes and dreams may finally be coming to fruition! He fantasized about a non-plushy body and hot babes, surrounded by his faithful companion sidekicks who would do anything for him. Stars were dancing wildly about his head.

"As you were!" Urahara shouted as he left the room, throwing a nonchalant wave over his shoulder.

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOO!" Kon could be heard for several miles outside of the shop.

* * *

Tessai followed Urahara. If anything that he had gathered about him in their time working together, he knew when something was going on. It was either Urahara's cheerful disposition or the smile on his face. Whichever it was, he could tell his true feelings were hidden; that was a reason for concern. As they rounded the corner into his office, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Sometimes I think you know me all too well, old friend." A smile cleverly constructed on his face fell away as Urahara settled onto the small pillow in the middle of the hollowed chamber. His office consisted of a very empty, very large area. It seemed more like a quiet place to reflect than do business in.

"You know what I'm going to ask, then." His gruff voice became surprisingly quiet and thoughtful.

"Yup. I guess there's no avoiding it." He sighed. "Ichigo's condition has stumped me, but I believe he'll be alright." His eyes shifted to the tatami mats below him, looking at the intersecting lines between them. He seemed to be stalling the point.

"Then…what?" Tessai sat opposite to Urahara, sitting straight and at attention.

"It's Ishida there."

Tessai's brows furrowed as he tried to read his colleague. The silence indicated that the shop owner should elaborate.

Urahara removed his hat, a rare event in itself. He ran a hand through his tousled blond hair, but it was in no attempt to fix or straighten it. Reapplying the classic fixture, he at last spoke. "I've never really experimented on mod-souls…at least as far as I've told you. I actually did a lot of research on them…back then. Not exactly proud of it now, especially when I've seen what they can accomplish in the place of soul reapers."

He shifted uncomfortably in the glare of Tessai, but when he looked at the older man, there was no harshness in his gaze. At first it caught him by surprise; then he realized that Tessai had never judged him for his past. That attitude provided an outlet, and he often confided personal issues to him. Sometimes the man knew him better than he thought, surmised Urahara.

"Back then we did an experiment to find the most suitable host for mod soul assignment. It sounds kind of strange, doesn't it – but I bet that you didn't know that each human body is comprised of its own composition of statistics. Say you have Kon here, and his ability is his leg strength. If you take the mod soul and place it into a paraplegic, the body will walk, jump, and function like normal. Now let's say you put that same mod soul into a marathon runner, the results will be entirely different. You know what I'm saying?"

Tessai tried not to reveal the small sweat drop escaping from his forehead. Where the big picture is concerned he understood, but the details were reeling.

Trying to keep it simple, Urahara continued. "Bet you're wondering what that has to do with Ishida. Well, the experiment evolved into people with supernatural abilities, most notably humans touched by a shinigami's power…or the Quincy." There was a flinch as he finished the statement. "Don't get me wrong, live subjects in experiments can be excellent because you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. It's when the results end in a painful death…" he trailed off, leaving Tessai to his imagination.

Urahara hopped up, wiping the emotion from his face. "Ishida is like an experiment that's already running, and I don't know the variables. The last Quincy that we studied using mod souls wound up not looking very pretty." He swished to his quarters and slid the partition to his room open. "I'm just hoping that the mod soul wasn't engaged long enough to -"

He was cut off by an irregular beeping sound coming from down the hall. Urahara's eyes grew wide, and before the command was called out, Tessai was already well on his way to the destination.

Uryuu Ishida was crashing.


	10. Between You and I

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Story note: Italicized sentences indicate internal dialogue, so there is less confusion. Single italicized words are usually stressed.

* * *

Between You and I

_I have no regrets_.

An spectral glow flickered in the distance providing the only source of illumination.

_As long as he is alive to protect the innocent, my life will never have been spent in vain. _

The light grew closer, bathing him in a warm sensation.

_I am…dying_. In his heart, he knew these to be his last moments. _Grandfather, I will join you soon_.

_I am ready_.

"Do you really believe that, Uryuu?" He recognized the voice. It was faint, but unmistakable. "Are you going to make yourself out to be the martyr and gracefully fade away? You better think again, because I'm not going to let you."

He felt like he was being pulled in a different direction. "What's going on?" he said out loud. In an instant he was torn; he thought that he was ready to move on, but the very sound of his voice kept him at bay. The unrest squirmed in his chest and burned his senses. Only _his_ voice could cause this much trouble.

"Remember - we have a deal. We need to keep each other alive so that we have someone to beat on. Got that, Mister Handicraft? You can't get out of it that easily."

"Ichigo?" Uryuu whispered. "How… Where…?" There were not enough questions to ask, and answers were in even shorter demand. He felt his eyes flutter open…and he could see.

It was a wondrous field, full of white flowers. The sky was so blue he felt he could lose himself in its boundless hue. He looked down at himself, still clad in the red garb of battle. Questions buzzed in his mind. "What the hell is going on?"

Ichigo stepped into view, dressed in his shihakusho. A breeze fluttered through the perfect world, and the smell of flowers was heavenly. "You brought me back."

* * *

The pained look on Uryuu's face was enough to indicate a problem. Sweat beaded on his brow, and his breath was strained and deliberate. His teeth gritted and his hands clutched his sheets.

Rukia rushed in behind Tessai "What's happened?" The words were forced from her lips that almost rose to a scream. Even she with her waning shinigami power felt the flucuation of Uryuu's spiritual pressure.

"Uryuu's become…unstable." came the curt response as Tessai formed hand gestures to initiate a procedure. He announced the methods of curing he would be using as he executed. "Number fif–."

A cane rose horizontally to Tessai's chest, a common indicator from his boss to cease his actions. Urahara stood silently in the doorway as he watched the events unfold.

"Eh?" Tessai glanced at his employer. Urahara's telltale smirk indicated that there was something occurring that Tessai wasn't aware of. Certainly this was not the time to wait if there was any chance to save Ishida. He considered resuming the healing kido, but his attention instantly drew back to the endangered soul on the table where his master's gaze settled. A startling sight awaited him.

Uryuu's body emitted a strange blue glow, riddled with red ethereal flames that flickered and rose in a spectral mist. To those in the room who could feel the spirit energy, it was a though a deadly pressure surrounded him. At first there was no apparent reason as to why Urahara stopped the incantation. Then it happened.

There was a resonance to the flicker of spiritual energy from Uryuu. It was matched by a second wave of energy emitting from that of Ichigo. It seemed that they harmonized and reverberated back and forth between them, almost echoing each others pattern.

"It seems that Ichigo still has some tricks up his sleeve." Urahara surmised.

"I thought he was in a coma!" Kon injected as he climbed onto a table to get a better look.

"Physically, he is. Spiritually, however, he must still have some level of awareness."

Uryuu's expression seemed to relax a little in the reverberation of pressure between the two souls. Even the monitor that had until that moment beeped feverishly started to slow. Then the alarm stopped altogether; Uryuu was stable again.

* * *

"What is going on in there, Ichigo?" Urahara whispered. There was much more to this story than they could see, that was apparent.

"Ichigo?" It was him, without any wounds or injuries to speak of. "Is this real, or a hallucination?"

"I guess it's real." Ichigo shrugged. "It's a manifestation of some sort, constructed from spiritual energy…I think." reiterating what he heard about this place. Not too long ago, he had wondered the same thing.

It was true; the power emanating from this place even felt familiar. Had he been here before? "Then how am _I_ here?"

"I'm not sure. Up to that point I thought I made it all up. That is, until I felt your spiritual pressure fading. Then I knew I had to do something. Somehow I managed to bring you here."

An idyllic breeze blew through, stirring their clothes. Flower blooms rustled slightly in the wind, some of the petals catching in the current.

Ichigo brought him here, but Uryuu was not exactly sure where that was.

"I'm not going to let you just fade away. As I see it, you saved my life; I should be able to return the favor." His pose was intimidating even from that distance.

"How does being here stop that? I was prepared to die." He pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose and looked away, trying to show disinterest in the substitute soul reaper. There was something more inside that he was not going to admit, that he would never admit to Ichigo. "There is no reason for this." He told this to himself as he spoke to Ichigo, "This make-believe world that we are in isn't going to stop the fact that I am going to die."

"No, you're not." Ichigo gritted his teeth.

"How do you know?" It seemed that they were getting into another argument they often had, purposely taking opposite ends of the spectrum to defend. Whether now was the appropriate time to do it was uncertain; it appeared that this place was timeless.

"It's not what you want." Ichigo continued his permanent scowl.

"Shut up, Soul Reaper – as to that, you have no clue." Uryuu knew that to be the case. There was nothing that Ichigo could do to feel how he felt. To lose his family, his grandfather and mentor, was a lot to bear. There was no one to go back to, not his estranged father, not to his small empty apartment to try and make ends meet. There was nothing for him to go home to. Nothing he wanted to go back for. Not even this banter that he and Kurosaki shared more often than not at school and on the battlefield was enough to make him want to stay. Death seemed a pleasurable release from all that. "How would you know how I feel?"

"It's written all over your face." Ichigo's hard stare softened a little. "I know I can't save everybody, but I sure as hell can repay a debt. I'm not going to let you die."

What was this feeling in his chest? It was a burning sensation that kept rising as Ichigo talked. The more he spoke the angrier he got. "I don't want you to repay any debt to me. You don't owe me anything. Now go save some lives and leave me in peace." He maintained his disinterested pose, body slightly turned away from the shinigami, his hand resting on the bridge of his glasses.

"Don't I? Well, it doesn't exactly matter what you want. I'm not letting you die. I guess you're just going to have to deal with it."

A blue arrow whizzed past, barely catching Ichigo on the cheek. Uryuu's face had become much darker suddenly. In this world they could still call on their power, it seemed. Ichigo was more than surprised as his glance turned downward to the thin red line that developed as he touched his hand to the mark.

"In case you didn't know, I missed intentionally." Uryuu called out matter-of-factly. The wound was superficial but enough to accentuate the point; Ichigo knew his aim could have been fatal. "The next time, you won't be so lucky." His brows were knit in an agitated stare at Ichigo. "Leave me alone." He warned.

Ichigo without a word grabbed a hold of the hilt of Zangetsu from his back and drew it out of its sheath. Instead of assuming a ready stance, he held the blade tip down at the ground. He plunged the sword into the soft earth, separating some of the abundant flower petals in the process. Uryuu watched as the sword disappeared in a shroud of darkness, and a figure emerged.

It was an older man surrounded in a black cloak. The covering seemed to waver in its own indelible wind, for the breeze in the field mysteriously died down. His face was pale and thin, and despite his gaunt features, he was in no way a frail man. In fact, he exuded virility and strength, even at this distance. He was tall, towering several feet above Ichigo even though he stood right next to him. His eyes were shielded behind yellow hued shades, and Uryuu could barely see his stare from the shine on the reflected surface.

Uryuu's gaze didn't flinch.

"Alright, Zangetsu. Remember what we were talking about earlier?" Ichigo nodded to Zangatsu.

"Yes." Came the deep reply. That voice was so abnormally deep, and _familiar_…

"It looks like were going to have to do it." His scowl deepened.

"Very well. You are aware of the risks?" Zangetsu's eyes never left the target, no emotion showing on his face.

"Damn them. I told him that I wouldn't let him die, and that's final." His gaze shifted back and forth between Zangetsu and Uryuu. "Let's do it."

At first nothing happened. Then there was a shudder in the landscape, like an earthquake rolling through the field. Flower petals rose to the sky in a swift breeze that blew suddenly, carrying the white snow-like particles away. The ground faded to black and melded into a strange boxlike pattern. A cityscape rose in the same material around him.

"What is this?" Uryuu eyes widened a bit, but he quickly regained his composure.

"This is my world." Ichigo commented. Now they both shared the same rooftop overlooking the city, a strange blue solitary place. It _felt_ like Ichigo, his being was somehow joined to this place, linked by his spiritual pressure. Not like the field that maintained its own spiritual presence.

"So what are you planning?" He drew back another arrow. "To fight each other here until you can get me to resolve my feelings? It's not going to work." Uryuu realized how angry he sounded and resented it. It was not that he wanted to die; he just didn't want to be saved by Ichigo. He didn't want to be saved by anybody. There was nothing that he did for anybody, and there's nothing that anybody else had done for him. Why didn't Kurosaki just stop trying? Did he get some kind of pleasure at his disdain?

"You're going to live…because you deserve to live!" With that an explosion of light and energy expelled from Ichigo's body, creating a flame of spirit energy around him. Zangetsu moved fast – too fast toward Uryuu. As Ichigo's power shot out Zangetsu's cloak enveloped him, covering him in a shadowy, sticky black mass that consumed his entire body.

He felt as though he were falling in that mass, falling in blackness.

There was a sickly, almost maniacal laugh in the distance as he fell. It reverberated off of the nothingness and rang in his ears. The voice spoke.

_It seems that he saved you. Well, there's no way he wouldn't win; he is the king of this place_.

Drowning in the dark, sticky mass, he fell.

* * *

Uryuu's pulse stopped.

The onlookers at Urahara's shop held their breath as they watched the wraithlike light dance around the two bodies, shifting from one form to the other. The seconds ticked by as Urahara kept his composure, the cane lightly resting on Tessai. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand.

Uryuu's pulse resumed, sending a shockwave through the room.

His eyes opened wide and he gasped for air. Sitting up with a fit of coughing, he felt all of the injuries of battle return in a pulsing, burning ache, increasing as his awareness returned.

Uryuu was back.

He was alive.

Ishida fell back onto the cot and tried to blot out the pain. His pale skin regained some of its former color, his lips losing his purple hue. His eyes closed and opened again slowly, and suddenly Ichigo was staring down on him.

"I told you I'd bring you back – because you brought me back." The normal scowl was absent from his face. Instead, it contained a smirk that almost seemed – content.

Uryuu suddenly felt conscious of the small distance between them. For some reason, he felt a blush rise on his cheeks.

Ichigo had flipped up and backward onto the small frame of Uryuu for dramatic effect after realizing the position that the two beds were in. Unfortunately he didn't take into account his body was exhausted from the healing process, and the sudden outburst of energy left him exhausted. Ichigo's eyes left Uryuu's intense stare, rolled upward as his body collapsed onto Uryuu, and fell into unconsciousness.

"What are you doing?! GET OFF ME!" Uryuu squirmed under the larger body of Ichigo. A bit of dribble creeped out of the corner of the sleeping man's mouth as Uryuu flailed pitifully in his weak condition.

"EUW! KUROSAKI DROOL!" Ishida complained as Tessai removed the limp body off of him. "It'll never wash off!" he moaned.

Most of his outburst was an intentional cover up. He was rather emotionally confused about how it felt with the wiry frame above him, the man who had brought him back from death. His heart fluttered, but was it about Ichigo, or the trauma he just endured? He tried to dismiss the feeling, but it hovered in his thoughts.

"Best thing for you now is to rest." Urahara commented.

Ichigo was already snoring softly on his own mattress.

"Avoid any unnecessary exertion…especially arguing." Urahara's eyes sparkled mischievously. "At least for a few hours." His cape swished as he walked for the exit.

That cloak…it reminded him of something…

Uryuu drifted to sleep.

* * *

See? I didn't kill him:D I couldn't do that to Ishida-kun. I'm so proud of myself:) 

I'm letting my sister beta read for me so I have less errors (at least spelling, hopefully some grammatical) when I post.

I feel like the story is really starting to move along now. Don't refrain from letting me know if something more should be done. Please review!


	11. Reflections of a Quincy

Here it is, chapter (uh) eleven! Yes, it's another two part chapter, but I think I broke it up pretty well. Italicized words are emphasized, italicized sentences tend to be flashback or inner monologue, depending on the situation. Special thanks to my sister Jindouji for beta reading.

Disclaimer by Yoda: Bleach, I own not. Wish it, I do. (I don't own Yoda either)

* * *

Reflections of a Quincy

Uryuu lay in bed, carefully sewing the turquoise trim to the white suede blend cloth. Trying to accomplish this feat was trickier than he thought; the needlework on more that one occasion slipped from his hands and he wound up fumbling to retrieve it. He was lucky enough that Ururu gathered his backpack and gave him his supplies so that he had something to occupy his hands with. Unfortunately with the amount of injuries done there, trying to do delicate needlework was about as effective as using a pair of clubs for appendages. He cursed silently as the labored embroidery slowly came along, the point of the needle jabbing frequently into the meat of his tender fingers.

At least he had something to do. Sewing gave him a moment to relax and reflect. A tranquil air flowed through him; he didn't think, he just let his hands do the work. There was a stab of pain as he turned over the cloth and he cursed again inwardly. As much as he tried to avoid the topic, the foremost it stuck out in his mind.

Ichigo.

Damn him.

Ishida wasn't exactly sure were his anger stemmed from, but Ichigo was dead in the middle of it. He remembered the look on Ichigo's face as he spoke those words.

_I told you I'd bring you back._

That damn reaper. He didn't ask to be rescued. The last time he checked, he had his own conscience – he didn't need some orange-haired pain telling him what he should do.

Looking down, he noticed that he stopped stitching altogether. Somehow he could not find solace in his needlecraft, but nonetheless picked up from where he left off. He watched his injured hands work, weaving the thin thread expertly and quickly, for even at his wounded pace he was faster than a skilled craftsman. The cotton wiring fitted so well, it joined the fabric together seamlessly and created a singular entity among small sections of cloth.

_You're going to live…because you deserve to live!_

How could he decide who lives or dies? It was not his choice to make, nor his will to carry out. His brow furrowed at the work in front of him, contemplating the look on Ichigo's face upon his awakening. Clearly Ichigo was glad he was alive; besides having him to pick on, he couldn't understand how Kurosaki benefited from his survival.

For that matter, Uryuu was struggling with a bigger concept: When did he lose his own motivation to live? As soon as the outlet revealed itself, he jumped at the chance to take it. Was death that tempting of a release from this existence? Was the will to be with his deceased family a drive strong enough to make him give up?

A chord of realization was struck; Ichigo's words disconcerted him. Do I deserve to live?

Damn that shinigami. Most of the spiritual encounter still fired incoherently through his mind, however bits of memory flitted back to him as soon as he disregarded them. Diverting more attention to the futile attempt at sewing, he pressed those visions to the tangents of his consciousness. Single stitch, lock stitch…it came like clockwork.

Staying at the Urahara shop, while not interested in doing so at first, seemed a welcome break while he recovered. The small partitioned room served as a quiet area to heal, especially since Ichigo had since awakened and milled about the inner sanctum of the store.

Uryuu almost thought that Ichigo would never wake up. During their stay at the Urahara shop, Ichigo remained asleep even as Ishida would wake, stretch, read a bit and rest again. He imagined there was quite a bit of energy racked up in that wiry frame of his. It was a wonder all that power could stay pent up in there, he mused.

Suddenly there was a tap on the wooden frame of his room's sliding door.

Grumbling to himself, he realized that while most of the stitching was completed, he had dropped the needle work again into his lap and reverted to staring at the turquoise ribbon hewn to the fabric. He set the work aside. He slid slowly from the bed, steadying his legs as if testing the weight on them, and stepped to the door. He slid the panel a few inches open and addressed the caller.

"Yes?" the question came as he opened the door.

"Oh. Kurosaki." Just Ichigo.

"So when are you getting your lazy ass out of bed?" His arm was draped above the door frame, leaning into the elbow propped against the doorway. That permanent scowl was etched into his face, but by now the facial expression imprint was a known standard among everyone who knew Ichigo. It also seemed that he ignored the fact that Ishida had to walk over to open the door in the first place.

Ishida almost baulked at his rudeness. Almost. Uryuu was the master of nonchalance.

"I was resting." came the curt reply.

"Well, I think that you've had enough bed rest. How about some sparring?"

Had Ichigo gone insane? "I refuse." Uryuu plainly stated.

"Why? Oh, I see. Your hands must be still pretty banged up. I guess you're just not capable of a decent battle…well, maybe except target practice." The smirk on his face patronized him and added a spark to an already combustible Quincy. That tone in his voice was infuriating at the least. It consisted of the simple combination of sarcasm and truth, but its potency was enough to make Uryuu's skin crawl.

Somehow Ichigo was an expert at getting to him.

"Or better yet, I'll get the extra practice in, for the next time I have to save your ass. Go ahead and rest, dear princess; I'm sorry to have disturbed you." A grin only added to the incriminating statement.

In a flash, the telltale blue and white Quincy cloth was affixed and Uryuu stood, his arms crossed over his chest. Glasses slid against the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

"You have no idea of the meaning." His stoic expression was just as statuesque as his pose.

A nod of understanding was shared between them as they left the partitioned room. Ichigo popped the soul candy into his mouth and claimed his shinigami form. There was business to attend.

* * *

(Earlier that day...)

"You want to what?" Urahara asked from the dark underside of his hat. His grey eyes sparkled in the mask of darkness, pointedly at the scheme brought to his attention.

"You heard me right, Hat-and-Clogs." Ichigo's telltale frown turned up at the corners of his mouth. "What do you think?"

"Well, Ichigo – It's kind of soon to tell. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to knock him around a bit." His fan waved lazily from side to side below his face, lightly wafting through the blond curled hair. "But you know me; I did the same thing to you." A happy smile lit up Urahara's face, much to the dismay of Ichigo.

"Yeah…I remember." Melancholy hovered in his statement; not too long ago Ichigo was a test subject of the ten day Urahara training regiment. Nightmares plagued him for months after the ordeal. Sometimes he could still feel the sickly white goo that expelled from every crevice of his face, slowly corroding and choking him, locking his visage in an eternal black tomb of a hollow's mask…

"Whatever." shaking off the image. "I think Ishida needs to break out of his slump. It's already been two days and he hasn't cracked one insult." It was amusing that there was a measurement for Uryuu's behavior.

"I don't see why that should bother you. Maybe he's finally warming up to you." Urahara's grin couldn't be wider.

"Hell no. So, can we use the underground facility?" he avoided the jovial expression.

"I don't see why not. On one condition." he announced, shifting slightly on the pillow at his feet.

"What's that?" An eyebrow shot up in interest.

"No more chasms." Urahara winked as he tapped his cane. Ichigo was fairly certain he knew what that meant.

The fan lazily resumed its speed as Ichigo turned to leave Urahara's office. _This could be interesting,_ Urahara noted to himself.

* * *

The expanse of the training facility seemed to have been doubled since the last time he was down here. Was it just his imagination? The hard rocky surroundings remained as desolate as ever and seemed a rather foreboding area. That posed as no problem at all – after all, it was a training ground and should provide the maximum capability for tactical battles. Which just happened to be mountains of rocks.

"So, are you ready, Uryuu?" maintaining his ceaseless smirk.

Before returning a comment, Ishida checked over himself mentally. It had been a couple days, and this encounter was his first at attempting any bit of spiritual exchange. Did he really feel ready to involve himself in combat? The wounds on his hands were healing, but still tinged with soreness. He mused that firing arrows may be a bit painful, but that he could manage.

"Well? Are you stalling?" Ichigo took a moment to reflect on his plan. Indeed, Uryuu wasn't acting like himself the last few days, but it was more than that. He was pretty lame at picking up reiatsu to begin with, but ever since the day Uryuu pointed out his own he tried to remember what Ishida's spiritual signature felt like.

Over the last two days, he hadn't felt anything from Ishida at all.

"_That's impossible, Ichigo," _Urahara had chided_. "You're just not focusing."_

"_Like hell I am." _he protested.

There was one way to find out. Kurosaki was the best at what he does.

Hopping up and down in frustration he cat-called to the Quincy. "Hey, stop ignoring me! Are you just going to make me stand here all day!?" That strange interpretive dance again.

Chance presented itself so easily to Uryuu. The pent up aggravation spoke clearly inside his mind. _What are you waiting for? Now is the opportunity to get back at him_.

Wait. Get back at him for what exactly? Saving him? He seemed fairly certain he should be doing the opposite for a rescuer.

_Knight in shining armor, more like. Didn't he call me a princess?_

The analogy burned his cheeks. Slowly, he drew his arm up, the silver cross dangling and glinting in the artificial light of the chamber. Slowly, he coaxed the spiritual energy that he knew so well. "Alright, Kurosaki."

Like the pilot light catching flame to gas igniters, Uryuu's spiritual energy ebbed out and surrounded him, encasing him in a wraithlike flame. Finally Ishida's power had surfaced, and Ichigo smiled in contentment. Even he could feel that presence.

He could feel it even more as an arrow sliced past his ear.

"Not bad," Ichigo dodged and rolled to the side. "but you're attacking an unarmed man."

"I thought you said you were ready, _Soul Reaper_. Why don't you stop the chit chat and defend yourself!" His stance did not waiver – he feet remained firmly planted on the ground.

Ichigo inwardly noticed that Ishida was starting to sound like his old self again. It was almost comforting to know – before another arrow sliced to the right of his shihakusho. "HEY!" he exclaimed, smelling the burnt fibers that wafted to his nose.

At that instant, Ichigo's zanpakuto was in his hands as he dodged this way and that, growing ever nearer to the Quincy. "I'm just getting started!" was the cry as he deftly rolled past several arrows projected toward him, slicing outward and up.

Hah! Ichigo grinned. The blade went wide as he felt it cut through the air. It was fast; almost too fast, for Ishida's eyes widened at the sight of the blade.

Something was wrong. The soul reaper pulled the strike back with help from Zangetsu. Why hadn't he dodged fast enough? Quincy, he knew, had a more accessible type of flash step and Uryuu never hesitated using it. So what happened? Maybe he overestimated Ishida's healing ability.

Uryuu jumped backward to avoid the blade. It barely missed, just nicking the underside of his chin in the process. Inside, he knew he could move faster than this. It had nothing to do with Ichigo's spirit power; that remained relatively the same. The shinigami hadn't even focused the full extent of his shikai yet, and Uryuu felt as though he moved like a slug.

_What's wrong with me?_ Uryuu gritted his teeth. _I know I can do better than this, injured or not._ The mental voice quieted his rising panic, his heart rate retuned to normal. _I just have to focus_, it said.

Ichigo remained quiet; it seemed that whatever just occurred, Ishida was making sure it wouldn't happen again. Grasping the sword hilt, he stayed prepared for the retaliation he knew was coming.

"You won't get another chance, reaper. Consider that a gift." An icy cold stare from those dark blue pools confirmed the statement, and he didn't bother to wipe the blood from his wound before setting an onslaught of arrows towards Ichigo. From the shaft of the bow it appeared as one, which dispersed into a cascade of projectiles, showering toward Ichigo.

Ichigo did what any sane person would do.

He hid behind a rock.

That reaction was definitely better timed than the first, Ichigo thought. Even Ishida's spiritual pressure felt more like normal. Now he should be able to spar properly, Ichigo thought. Carefully peeking around the corner, he searched for the white uniform on the desolate landscape.

"Are you looking for me?" A voice from behind prickled the hairs on his neck as he realized the importance. The rock exploded as he jumped clear, looking back at the smoldering pile and a telltale smirk of a Quincy. Soon another bolt seared toward him, sizzling the air around it as it flew in fast pursuit.

Ichigo brought himself around in mid-air to swat the arrow away with his zanpakuto. Chalking the small victory in his mental tally, he smiled. This was more like it.

The next exchange in both of their thoughts couldn't have been better. Uryuu, now dodging the formidable opponent with jumps and flash steps, fired volleys of arrows to the quick, ever moving Ichigo. Kurosaki sidestepped, zanpakuto following his body movements like an extension of his hand. Circling around and down with the sword cut, the Quincy phased in – the blade passed him – and back, sending an arrow point blank toward the back of Ichigo's head. Keeping time with his momentum, Ichigo followed the sword down and flipped over the hilt of the blade, buried now in the dirt. Smoke and debris showered both of them as the projectile hit the ground.

As the dust cleared, they both remained still; breathing heavily, locked in an unwavering gaze. Their stances indicated they were ready for anything from their opponent, with no sign of weakness. Simultaneously, they expressed the same greedy smile of anticipation; this duel was turning out to be more fun than either had expected. Unmoving, they faced off against each other, each in their own measured pose.

Battle has advantages over emotions; only instinct and rational behavior belong, everything else is trivial: Mind and body, as if moving together as one, within a single purpose. Defend and attack. Uryuu felt his body ease into the action of sparring; there was an indescribable sense of effortlessness as fatigue melted away; he compelled to exert just a little more.

Ichigo's eyes widened, a pause that lasted a split second before

a violent explosion of projectiles from the Quincy ensued.

A pulse.

* * *

How did you like it? Please Review! BTW, that last sentence is broken up to create the 'pulse' feel so it's supposed to be like that. Let me know if you got that feeling.

I'm trying to get more descriptive, let me know if it's effective or not.


	12. Through Red Haze

Part two in my opinion is better. Enjoy!

* * *

Through Red Haze

Like his breath had been ripped from still moving lungs, burned from the sudden withdraw of air, was the only explanation given by his body. Nothing could have made him forget that pain. Things were resonating inside him, his instincts were buzzing – he was getting a feeling that something bad was happening. Once, not long ago, he felt this pulse; lifetimes could have passed before he had this sensation again. However his reflexes howled that there were more pressing matters at hand. His wits screamed at him to move out of the way before he got riddled with holes from upcoming shots of a Quincy bow. This time he was lucky enough to dodge.

It was Ishida's turn to acknowledge victory. A grin of satisfaction spread across the Quincy's face, matched with an equally cool glare from his eyes. A cold, indifferent smile devoid of emotion framed Uryuu's visage, sending chills down Ichigo's spine.

Uryuu was not terribly intimidating to Ichigo. Oftentimes Ishida would throw accusing and degrading looks; usually he would retaliate with his own against the Quincy. No malice existed between them, their feuding only a result of equal rivalry. Looking at Ishida now instilled a fear he never knew; could this even been the same person? In an instant he knew the feeling that provoked a sense of dread and panic in him.

Uryuu's reiatsu resolved intent to kill.

* * *

Urahara sat, legs folded in front of him, with his eyes closed in the empty room. With all the new commotion around, the need to relax gained priority. Tessai recommended meditation, along with his 'homemade herbal remedy'. Urahara's breath stopped short, remembering the last time Tessai tried to give him one of _those_. He let the vision of being pent up in the restroom for hours slip away as his breathing resumed, deep inhale, letting his mind relax. It was not often he indulged in clearing his thoughts; the three employees often had a way of keeping the place pretty hectic. Such is the way of retail, he thought. Spiritually he could benefit as well, the calming effect of the meditation let his reiatsu harmonize with the area around him.

Sort of like a peeping tom, if you will.

Kon still being tossed around by the kids. _At least they're occupied._

Tessai in the middle of some concoction. _Note to stay away from that._

Kurosaki and Ishida in the inner chamber. _Now that's more like it._

Normally the chamber was sealed off to outside spiritual pressure, but being the store owner had its quirks. Also leaving the door to the basement wide open helped, but doesn't sound as nice. He focused on the spiritual exchange.

Therefore the pulse that hit Ichigo was just as evident to Urahara as it shook him to his core. A question formed on his brow. Someone's reiatsu suddenly…changed?

"Mhn?" a voice startled him out of the trance. His eyes popped open, and about three inches from his face was the quizzical look of Tessai, complete with medicine.

"AH!" Urahara jumped up and away suddenly, pressing himself against the wall of his office: Less for sake of being frightened, more for the mysterious bottle in his employee's hand. His fan subconsciously flicked to his face. Defense maybe?

"Is something wrong, boss? Just so happens I've got a remedy for that."

"No! Thank you." His tone was light and cheery, hinted with a bit of anxiety. "I'm fine." Smiling his normal smile and his discomfort all but gone, Urahara waved his hand lazily away. "I'm just going to check to see how the match is going downstairs."

He slid sideways, keeping his eye on Tessai until he exited the room.

* * *

At full run, Ichigo was having a hard time outpacing the Quincy. Where was this newfound energy coming from? He turned to swat away a few stray missiles heading for his location, just to turn and run some more. What was that malevolent glow about him?

"You have nowhere to run, reaper. Face me!" the tone remained unnerving.

As much as they bickered, Ichigo never felt the want to intentionally hurt Ishida. The reiatsu emanating from the Quincy was definitely the opposite. He turned to face Uryuu head on.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you, you bastard! Just what are you trying to do!?"

"Silence!" More bolts flew. One struck Ichigo in the shoulder. It was superficial, but painful as the spiritual dart flew into and out of the other side of his shinigami form.

Ichigo staggered and fell on one knee. His zanpakuto imbedded the ground, using the hilt as a prop to keep himself upright. That bolt was unbelievably painful, as if each bolt shared the same intent to kill him. Droplets of blood fell to the ground before him.

In an instant Ishida stood over him, barely a yard away. A breeze stirred his hair though no wind existed in the underground cavern. The shine on his glasses prevented Ichigo from looking into his eyes, though he was sure what he would find there. The Quincy's hand rose again, calling upon the named bow just inches above Kurosaki's head.

"Stand, so that you may have an honorable death." Were these words coming from Ishida's mouth?

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but I'm not going to play along." He stood slowly, shifting his body to face Ishida fully, leaving his stance wide open. "Do you want to kill me? I'd like to see you try, I'm not going to let you. As for me, I'm not going to kill you either."

Uryuu's teeth clenched, his brow furrowed in anger and spite, his words filled with viciousness and hate. "Then die." An arrow slid easily back and locked into place.

A telltale spark of blue light burst from Ichigo as the arrow notched, dancing in a fire-like arc around the soul reaper. Looking carefully, one could see a hollow mask staring back, a spiritual representation of Zangetsu's power. He remained motionless, daring the opponent to move first.

The missile would be strong enough to counter the soul reaper's zanpakuto; he knew this. The Quincy raised a smirk again as he drew his finger back to release the arrow. It hesitated, twitching against his command. There was a thought that ran through his head, asking him what he was doing.

_He is not my enemy, stop this!_

Uryuu tried to dismiss it.

_There is no reason for this fight!_

As much as he tried, the digit would not move.

_I am about to kill Ichigo!_

A strained look came across his face as his logic faltered, Ichigo could see the uncertainty trail across Ishida's face.

_Ichigo is not my enemy, what the hell am I doing?_

A voice punched back as if countering his resolve.

_I will kill him. This substitute shinigami needs to die._

Was this his true feeling? To destroy Kurosaki? Why? Hadn't the soul reaper saved him from death?

_Yes…and me as well…_

His eyes froze in wide terror.

_Who –_

_Why, I'm shocked. After all, our meeting was not that long ago. Especially since you went through all the trouble to make sure you kept me with you._

His mind raced. What the hell was happening to him?

_Still don't know? Let me help you remember._

In a flash, Uryuu's spiritual pressure changed density and flared in a burst pattern around him. It was agonizing, the pain ripped through his body in waves, leaving him on his knees in the wake. Upon regaining control of his body, red ethereal flames ebbed around his body. A memory drifted back to him: It almost felt that if he looked down, he would be staring at blood soaked hands. Ache seeped into his bones. _Jouten_.

_What are you doing to me…?_

_You have very special powers, indeed. Did you think that all a Quincy could do was shoot poorly misshaped spiritual arrows at hollows? There's much more than that, unless you're content with those shoddy capabilities. Observe._

His glance flicked up to Ichigo. The shinigami's look of worry was evident; he seemed to be mouthing words of concern, but no sound came out.

_No…_

Uryuu's actions were not his; it felt as though someone else pulled the strings of his body. A hand lifted - he was sure it was his own - and extended the palm towards Ichigo.

_Stop…_

Kurosaki's eyes went wide as a change in the flow of spiritual power shifted to the outstretched hand of Uryuu. The soul reaper readied his stance to defend.

A cry ripped through the air of pain and anguish as the cannon of power fired from Uryuu's palm; instead of impacting into Ichigo, it skittered off into the landscape. A deafening roar consumed the underground chamber, for through the room seemed huge, a spell of that nature was the limit of what the cavernous area could hold.

A sweat drop creased Ichigo's brow. Ishida changed the trajectory?

Now crumpled on the dirt floor, Uryuu gasped uncontrollably. Like he had run a five mile marathon, his breathing would not slow. Sweat beaded his brow as he regained a crouched position, applying his weight to the downed knee. Head bent, unfocused on the world around him he could feel a pressure behind his eyes. It wasn't over.

Suddenly Ichigo was upon him. "What's wrong?" It was almost an exclamation instead of a question. Ichigo forcefully grabbed Uryuu's shoulders and shook him until his attention snapped up to the soul reaper.

Ichigo was so close.

He could almost smell him.

A very appealing scent of a soul reaper.

"Stay back!" Ishida almost screamed. He scooted almost five feet backwards in a hasty retreat.

A very appealing scent indeed.

Another scream. He realized it was his own. He held his head in his hands, trying to drown out his thoughts.

To taste a shinigami's power.

Ichigo was there again. The look of concern deepened into his natural scowl.

"I said back!" With a twist, Lone Sparrow in all its red haze was in hand, poised to strike Ichigo in the temple.

Yes, a very powerful soul. His scent was intoxicating.

Suddenly Uryuu jerked forward. He didn't intend to, was it even his will? Then he had Ichigo by the neck. The soul reaper was very, very close.

Ichigo's reiatsu leaked power. It oozed from every pore of his spiritual being. Uryuu could sense it; it was as palpable as the shinigami in his hands. He could feel this soul, desirable energy flowing from its being. What was it like to possess such strength? Suddenly he wanted to sample it.

Ichigo's eyes were wide from the strength of the grip Uryuu had him in. He tried to pull away, but to no avail. Whatever this was, it wasn't Ishida; he had to believe that. Even the veracious and feral look in his eyes indicated so. There was a flinch, and those blue pools reflected Ichigo's glare. For a moment Uryuu was himself.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered quietly as he leaned forward. Instead of trying to wrestle his grasp or fend the Quincy away with his zanpakuto, he watched as Uryuu slowly slid close to his face, rising slowly to his lips.

He gasped into Uryuu's mouth as their lips pressed.

* * *

What do you think so far? I wonder what will happen? Wait, I'm the writer! Please Review! 


	13. Fall of a Quincy

Here's the next chapter. Contains a bit of yaoi/shonen-ai, but I'm sure you've all been waiting long enough for this story to develop it. Sorry it took so long to 'put out' (he heh) this chapter, but I've been occupied on another story that begged to be written after I watched the end of the Soul Society arc. It's not a yaoi, but does have a complex storyline about how Hisana tragically died and left Kuchiki Byakuya the man we all know and love (or hate): What if Byakuya was responsible for her death? It's called Memoirs of a Shinigami.

Anyway, I do not own bleach.

* * *

Fall of a Quincy

A shudder passed through his body. Millions of neurons fired at one time. If lightning could have been channeled between them that is how the moment of clashing energy felt. There was a tremble from both men in response; a mutual feeling as the power coursed through their bodies in one overwhelming moment.

Then slowly, Ichigo felt his power ebb, flow out of him as though someone had turned on the spiritual tap and let his energy spill out. Ishida was leeching his power?!

With the hunger of a ravenous hollow, Ishida deepened the contact between himself and Ichigo. Wider was the command; his mouth wrapped around the shinigami's. A warm, soft sensation as Uryuu roamed over his tongue, a devastating opposition was noticeable in the Quincy: As though two different entities existed; the powerful, life-absorbing energy that engulfed him, and the mellow caress of Ishida.

The air began to twist and bend around the Quincy, absorbing the spirit particles from inside the chamber. Ichigo felt the heat rising inside Ishida, the intense spectral flame burning higher around his body. It was like waiting for a bomb to explode, the amount of spirit intake reaching critical inside the Quincy's body was imminent. Uryuu winced in the embrace, the absorption taking a toll on his physical body.

_Move dammit. _Willing his body to strike out against the hold. _Move, before it's too late!_

Was this the end?

Here, in this cavern? With Uryuu, under this strange control? _How can I stop this?_

_Think!_

Ishida lurched forward as look of surprise crossed the Quincy's visage. Those blue eyes pierced him, as if the stare meant to penetrate through his countenance. His features became languid as the body slid limply into the shinigami's waiting hands.

A movement caught the soul reaper's eye, a form where the Quincy stood.

A soul.

Uryuu wavered, transfixed at the sight of his own spirit body, the indicative spirit chain protruding from his chest. Through the corporeal shell, a small symbol in the shape of a skull attached to the end of a cane waived through the smoky haze of the specter.

"Arigato, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara happily announced as though completing a store transaction. "The distraction was most appreciated." He winked in the shade of his hat, smiling coyly at the reddened face of Ichigo. Nodding to the tip of his cane, still smoldering from the contact of Uryuu's spirit, he shifted his gaze to Ishida.

"What…has happened?" Uryuu formed the words carefully. The phrase caught in his throat and dragged out slowly, the sentence construction a hard task to complete.

Looking down, Uryuu could view the dusty floor through his wavering form. Collapsing suddenly under the strain of being forced out of his body, he struggled to stay conscious.

"What's…wrong with me?" The shadowy specter sighed, unable to weight his voice properly.

"I've given you a 'push', if you will." Urahara gestured with his cane. "Right now, you're a konpaku – a regular human soul without power."

Urahara inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; the influence of the hollow did not appear to affect him in this state. With the exponential climb in power from Ishida, there was no telling whether or not removing his soul would work.

Ichigo remained frozen. Although the contact was gone, he still felt Uryuu's mouth upon his own. An icy chill fell down Ichigo's spine, and his eyes were solidly locked onto the Quincy. Goosebumps stubbornly stayed on his skin, though the chamber was not remotely cold enough to cause them. His hand reflexively went to his lips.

Remarkably, Uryuu's consciousness remained intact. Propping himself on a rock his breathing was labored – how did the air around him become so heavy?

Ichigo's stoic expression did not change. His eyes remained locked on Ishida, as if any movement would send Zangetsu hurtling toward the Quincy by its hilt wrap.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the men. What seemed like hours passed in only seconds before Urahara's employees made an entrance, followed by Rukia and Kon. All had the same question on their mind as they were met with the scene.

Urahara's underground training facility was in shambles. Craters were gouged into the ground and any landscaping originally in the cavern was decimated. Burn holes scorched the ground where Quincy arrows touched and chunks of particles absorbed during the endeavor left empty voids in the field. As if for effect, a mountain of rocks crumbled under the disproportion of weight from the top of the pile.

Everyone looked at the incapacitated Quincy.

Urahara smiled unexpectedly, dropping his cane to the rocky ground as he spoke. "Well, well. Seems that things have certainly become interesting around here."

"Why…?" Uryuu managed.

"Now is as good time as any to give you my opinion." Urahara sat and crossed his legs, producing a fan from the sleeve of his jacket. Flicking it open, he began talking as the fan swung slowly back and forth.

"I believe joining with the mod soul may have altered your Quincy attributes. Albeit, Kon's interference was only temporary, it opened a pathway to other power gain." He spoke carefully, stressing the points succinctly for the group. "You ability to absorb ambient particles became heightened, meaning that the amount and distance of particles you can accumulate have increased."

"That sounds like a good thing." Kon spouted, hopefulness in his voice.

"Yes. And no." Urahara replied with a slight hesitation. Grey eyes peeked out from under the shade of his wide brimmed hat, focusing on the soul form of Ishida. "Where the problem lies was in Jouten. That hollow had its own characteristics that were much like Ishida's here. I believe that the essences are getting mixed up and wreaking havoc in his body."

With the handle of his cane, Urahara pulled back the shirt from the shoulder of the unconscious physical Uryuu. Under the dressings an ichor looking mark from being impaled on Jouten remained. Then he cautiously did the same to the spirit Quincy. Surprisingly there was a mark in the same place, but this black mark permeated with a red haze that wisped in ethereal flame.

"In short, I fear that absorbing the remaining entity of the hollow has poisoned you." he coolly stated.

Weak as Ishida was, he managed to gasp.

Of the group, Ichigo carried the most serious tone. "What can I do?" his permanent scowl deepening at each word.

Urahara smiled seemingly trying to dispel the sullen attitude. "If I'm right, the poison should disperse on its own, granted Ishida keeps from exerting his spiritual energy. The hollow power seems to be feeding off of our Quincy's reiatsu. Keeping his reiatsu to a minimum should weaken it and give Ishida a chance to recover."

"What should I do now?" Uryuu asked. Being able to see himself was starting to make for a very uncomfortable feeling.

"You should be able to claim your body now. Removing a soul from its host has the tendency of releasing built up spiritual pressure."

"Oh, like a cork." Ichigo mused.

Uryuu didn't like being referred to as a pent up bottle. He let it slide.

"Alright, here we go." Ichigo helped Uryuu to his body. It wasn't far, but the immense weight holding his konpaku down made it feel like miles.

"How could you navigate being in soul form?" Uryuu wondered out loud. Somewhere, he began to have a new found respect for the soul reaper. "Didn't you have to train as a konpaku during Urahara's instruction?"

Jinta piped up, now realizing his chance to be noticed. "Yeah, he had to fight Ururu and he shouted at the top of his lungs 'Protect me, headband of justice!'" he rolled on the ground in laughter.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" A dark figure rolled over Jinta, covering him in an immense shadow. Ichigo's teeth grinded as foreheads clashed between the red haired kid and himself.

"I said you had to fight a GIRL!" Jinta retaliated.

"Now, now, you two." Urahara's fan slowly waved back and forth. "We have work to do."

Uryuu was back in the partitioned room. Once repositioned in his body, he had no trouble at all performing normal functions, so he navigated through the shoten and back to his makeshift cot.

Personally, he didn't feel like freeloading; his home would be more than adequate to supply relaxation. Apparently Urahara did not share in his reasoning.

"_I would like to keep you here for observation. So please make yourself at home."_

To honor the shop keeper, Uryuu stayed with minimal resentment. At least he had craft projects to work on. Resuming a cross-stitch pattern he created, he felt a little more at ease in the shop. Keeping his reiatsu in check may be an easier task than expected.

The door to his partitioned room slid open suddenly, and a figure stepped through. From the padded cloth sound his socks made on the mat, he didn't need to look up to tell who it was.

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"I was wondering how you were doing." The words were long and drawn out, as though his concern was forced by an unseen assailant.

Uryuu decided to humor him. "I am fine, thank you."

A silence fell between them.

"Is there anything more, Kurosaki?" Ishida tried to suppress the annoyance in his voice. "I need to rest."

"Well," Ichigo stammered. "I guess I came to apologize."

An apology? From Ichigo Kurosaki of all people? Uryuu wasn't quite sure how he should respond to such an unexpected event.

Ichigo continued. "I didn't realize you weren't ready yet. I guess I pushed you too hard." He subconsciously rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the orange hair on his neck.

Something stirred in Uryuu's gut. A strange crawling feeling that felt vaguely familiar. Something from the not so distant past.

The taste of a shinigami.

The Quincy's eyes widened and he quickly tried to dismiss the notion. It swam under the surface, preparing to strike out at the first opportunity.

"So what I guess I'm trying to say is 'get better'."

Brown eyes sparkled, a shine settled on his lip. Orange hair parted into some spiky pattern which fell into his eyes and clung to his face, and even though the color was odd, the rarity could be described as…

Uryuu ripped the word from the end of that statement. He was not going to admit that Ichigo was…

"What?" The shinigami said. Ichigo had a cross between concerned and irritated look on his face.

"Nothing, Kurosaki." His eyes quickly reverting back to the cross shaped stitching emerging on the cloth. The needle worked quickly as Uryuu tried to drown out thoughts of Ichigo with keeping his mind and fingers busy.

"Were you even listening to me? I was trying to say something kinda cool!" A frown etched into his face.

"Yes." He made the mistake of making eye contact again, this time noting how endearing a scowl looked him. Dammit! His mind screamed. He could almost imagine the fuzzy colored bubbles and dreamy music playing. Ishida's eyes shot back to the needlework.

Then Ichigo could have done the best and worst thing. He walked over and sat on the corner of his makeshift bed. "If you need anything, just let me know." Fierce determination spoke clearly in his voice; surely Kurosaki's friends were above all else important to him. Family was always top of the list – no argument in that; but whenever his friends were in trouble, he was a valuable resource and trusted companion.

Ichigo noted the appreciative look on Uryuu's face.

"Arigato, Kurosaki."

A complacent and peaceful calm came over the Quincy. Despite the conflicting feelings for the shinigami, he considered Ichigo a reliable ally. On the battlefield it was nice to have someone watch your back. There weren't quite words for the way Uryuu described their rival relationship, but he knew what existed between them he wouldn't have any other way.

Then the creature inside struck.

Ishida wasn't sure if they were his own movements or if his body acted on its own, but smoothly and serenely a hand slid over Ichigo's cheek and lips pressed against one another.

Were these feelings real, or some conjured illusion from a rampant hollow? The taste, the smell – everything about this felt right. A returned pressure from Ichigo confirmed that Ishida was not making things up. This was real. Ichigo was real.

There was some absurdity to the situation in the logic center of his brain; the side that had been continuously screaming that Ichigo was a soul reaper, an enemy – someone who opposed every value his Quincy self upheld. Ichigo was not a person to get involved with on any level.

However layers were being stripped of that voice; Ichigo was an exception. No shinigami acted or sounded the way Kurosaki did in battle. In many respects they carried the same beliefs; war should be avoided, differences settled, the innocent protected. The voice inside quieted as the retaliation substantiated this connection.

Ichigo pressed harder, the need for more resting in his lips. Ishida wanted to return, but the feeling remained.

_Is this me, or is it the hollow?_

Uryuu's body almost froze at the though of their last encounter. Drawing the breath out of Ichigo's body, feeling his reiatsu waiver and fall. Draining the life from his soul.

He abruptly pulled from Ichigo. "What if this isn't me? What if it's just the hollow trying to get to you?"

Ichigo frowned. "If you have enough sense to think about that than you're not being controlled by a hollow."

That was the single most logical explanation he had ever heard.

Ishida's back pressed into the mattress as the eloquent needlework fell to the floor.

* * *

You like? Please review! The next chapter is sure to have a lemon. Or boy/boy. Or a lovely bit of acting in scene 42. At the least, describe what happens to Uryuu and Ichigo after what they just started. I'm going to dedicate the next chapter to all the loyal yaoi loving fans for hanging in there until I finally got to the good part. Thank you! 

PS I loved the title, it eluded to so many things that happed to Ichida in this chapter. Fallen - implying a drop (Urahara's cane) erosion of his nature (hollow transformation) robbed of purity (Ichigo) :D


	14. Two Souls Entwined

There! I put all the yaoi goodness into one big chapter! It goes on in Word for 8 pages! Phew, Happy Thansgiving all - hope you find something good to eat... oops, still in yaoi mindframe...

I swith POV between the characters a lot, I may add breaks between them if it's too frusterating to read. Let me know!

So needless to say YAOI. Don't like don't read. For everyone else, sorry it took so long. Dedicated to all of Twisted's fans and the yaoi loving community.

Strong sexual content. May or may not contain a lemon, but most definitly has a strawberry. They taste better anyway.

I do not own Bleach.

* * *

Two Souls Entwined

Ichigo's wiry frame pressed onto Uryuu's body, his thin fingers setting to work on his clothes.

Ichigo's untamed reiatsu sparked with an abundant amount of passion and lust, Uryuu was almost overcome by the waves of spiritual pressure emanating from the shinigami's body. Since when did Ichigo feel this way about him?

Since when on that same token did he begin to feel remotely attracted to Ichigo?

Ishida's tie was loosened and stripped – even while in Urahara's care, he refused to look unprofessional, especially since school was still in session and it would look rather suspicious missing several days in a row at the same time as Ichigo. He had a reputation to maintain: One did not casually fall into 'the top of the class'.

Buttons popped as Ichigo's lust became a little too frivolous in endeavor; now he'd have to sew those back on. However the coming sensation of lips on his bare chest was enough to dismiss a few quick stitches.

Uryuu's skin felt soft and velvety under Ichigo's tongue. This moment had never played out in his mind, but since the moment Ishida's lips pressed against his own in the underground cavern, it was all he could think about. Through the hollow's determination to absorb his spirit energy, he felt Uryuu's own reiatsu battling the creature's advances. Ichigo could not deny that the Quincy was not fighting the act itself.

Here he was, licking the small nub that jutted from Uryuu's smooth chest, as the Quincy shuddered underneath him. He wouldn't want it any other way. A hand made its way to the dark locks that surrounded Uryuu's face as he pulled – ever so gently – to reveal an equally tender neck, white as porcelain and just as delicate. Light kisses grazed across the open area and settled at the base above the collarbone. He could hear Uryuu's breath shorten and quicken, responding easily to a few simple gestures.

Uryuu felt rather stiff about the endeavor, he was a bit unsure about what to do first. Mind wandering to the amazing outcropping of orange hair, he decided he always wanted to know what it felt like to run his fingers through the mass. It was rather soft actually, apart from the fact it stood straight up. Now he realized that thickness was the real reason it spiked, rather than some unconventional application.

Ichigo came up to kiss his lips again, slick from wetness and a taste of salt. He smelled of outside, like the cool breeze was somehow still wrapped up in his body. A chill passed through him as the spots explored earlier began to cool. Noticing the draft, Ichigo tossed a blanket over the both of them and shortened the distance between their bodies. Uryuu could feel Ichigo's heart pounding in his chest, a hard steady pulse that beat solidly against his hand.

Suddenly, Uryuu was overcome with the need to feel Ichigo against his body. The shirt rose over Ichigo's head easily and was tossed away, revealing the darker, tanner skin underneath. Scars were still present on his body from the crude execution attempt of Kuchiki Byakuya, and Uryuu felt a twinge of anger that the man had marred such marvelous skin. The scars felt smooth compared to the textured appeal of Ichigo's natural skin tone, and added a new sense of arousal into Uryuu's already overloaded mind: These scars were etched into Ichigo as a reminder of how he had tried to protect both Uryuu and Rukia that fateful day.

Ichigo removed the frames from Ishida's eyes as he continued the crusade across his lips. Uryuu wanted to protest, but Ichigo followed with his own statement.

"You won't be needing these." He stated as he sat them inside the sewing case at bedside. With an added remark he tossed the covers over his head. "I'll be back."

Uryuu was left with the sensation only of what was happening under the covers. A belt flew out from underneath; by the tug he was sure it was his own. Then he heard a telltale zipping sound.

Ichigo's hands moved quickly. He wanted to see all of this handsome body; he couldn't believe skin could be so white and perfect. Pants slid down to reveal more unexplored area, and he just as easily kissed the newly exposed skin, right to the base of Ishida's budding arousal. That brought on more shudders from the Quincy, and a smirk of approval from the shinigami. It was hard to believe the callous and otherwise not emotive Ishida Uryuu would be writhing in uncontrolled pleasure. He decided to experiment; what would happen if he did this?

A gasp escaped Ishida's lips as Ichigo engulfed the whole member down to the base. It was almost a scream of surprise as hands clamped down into the ruffled orange hair. It seemed uncertain what Uryuu would do – he seemed torn between yelling at him to stop or pleading with him to continue. The Quincy's body relaxed slightly after a second, and Ichigo considered that a cue to finish what he was doing. He withdrew and gave a couple quick kisses to the most sensitive parts, noting how rock hard the arousal had become. A low moan issued from above. Now was the time to act.

Again the member retreated into the heat of his mouth, but slowly this time. He licked around the tip and at the few drops that accumulated there, then proceeded to devour the shaft, creating a suction between the two layers. Hands ran through his hair easier this time as Ishida's back arched into the sensation. His voice became labored and ragged as his breaths came in time to the stroking sensation Ichigo elicited.

How was this possible? The shinigami had him reeling in mixed pleasure and he couldn't think straight. It felt so good and wrong and right at the same time – their reiatsu becoming tangled together in passion and lust as Ichigo supplemented his hand along the shaft to increase the length on the motion.

The blankets fell back to reveal the act of the orange haired shinigami and Ishida almost came right there. It was the most amazing sight; while he was completely unclothed, Ichigo's shirtless form rippled in strong musculature as he dove into the movements, small beads of sweat running in rivulets down his chest and around his tightened abdomen muscles. Uryuu also noticed that the shinigami's pants were undone loosely, and while one hand attended to his arousal, the other attended to his own.

"I'm go-nna -" Ishida tried to mentally clamp down before his body lost control.

Ichigo refused to stop or even slow. Ishida thought maybe he didn't hear, but his voice was clear enough between gasping and moaning, he thought.

As a matter of fact, Ichigo's wiry frame sped up, providing no time for Ishida's mind to recover mentally. His body arched as he almost cried out, the seed finding its way to the back of Ichigo's throat. Ishida's thin fingers wound its way into the plait of orange as they tugged while Uryuu's body uncontrollably jerked rhythmically. It was swallowed and gone before there was time to notice.

The Quincy's spent form fell back onto the bed, the cool chill of sweat seeping into his body. Ichigo quickly advanced on top of him, emitting a radiant amount of heat.

"Ichigo." Uryuu barely breathed. He felt weak as their lips pressed again. He detected a hint of a new flavor on his lips; was it his own?

"I'm not done yet." Ichigo protested, a small smirk on the corner of his usual scowl. Uryuu noticed that Ichigo still had his own problems to attend to; the erection looking painfully hard as he grabbed for something on the bedside.

Uryuu always carried it around with him, yet he was never sure why – needles in his sewing kit always needed a bit of oil to keep from rusting. So it was with mixed surprise and understanding when the bottle appeared in his hand. It was just regular oil, so the dual purpose eluded him until now. Ichigo was indeed a shinigami who thought quickly in battle; the same could be said of other events, Uryuu pondered.

"I want you. Uryuu." His voice purred in a deep tone, making Uryuu's skin tingle in anticipation. Something about this incredibly powerful soul reaper telling him that he desired him was uncontrollable. He felt a twitch in his lower regions.

"I need you. Uryuu." His kisses washed over his lips and his body pressed onto the Quincy's. Something about being the last of a race was remarkably desirable, as Ichigo lavished kisses onto Uryuu's tight chest. It was compact but strong as Ichigo could make out the faint traces of chest and stomach muscles on the skin. Jumping around from different structures shooting arrows had that effect: Physical conditions were at their peak for these two men due to job requirements.

The oil slicked more the bed his hand, everywhere as Ichigo applied to his own arousal. Somehow it felt as though he moved in slow motion. Brown eyes suddenly rose and met Uryuu's. A compassionate look crossed his otherwise scowl etched face; the look made Uryuu melt, knowing that caring expression was meant for him.

"I'm not going to hurt –" Bronze colored orbs gently gazed into the Quincy's cool indigo ones.

"I know, Kurosaki." His deep blue eyes looked into Ichigo's soul. Endearing and peaceful they were, even as slicked fingers probed at the entrance. Not so much as a stifled gasp emitted from Ishida as the long shaft was the next to glide slowly into the opening. Ichigo tried to go as slow as he could, but the tight feeling around his member plagued and assaulted his senses. Uryuu turned face down on the bed as Ichigo's manhood was slowly engulfed by Ishida's heat. Properly mounted, Ichigo could finally release the pressure building behind his eyes as he pushed in, pulled out. Uryuu's body felt so warm and soft yet his skin was firm around masculine curvature. A small moan elicited from the man underneath him.

"More." It said. His hips shifted further to accommodate a push up toward the member.

The action almost tore Ichigo's control in half. Here was a man who seldom displayed any emotion toward anyone, grinding on his hip? The world was indeed a mysterious place.

Happy to oblige he plunged the remainder of the shaft deep inside.

Ishida moaned loudly into the pillow, almost a scream as the member easily slid in and out now. A hand reflexively dove underneath his body; Ichigo's followed to stroke the new arousal.

"Kurosaki…" his name sounded so formal on Uryuu's lips, even as they breathed of elation and passion. Quite a turn on actually, he had to clamp down yet again from coming prematurely and ending their union. Uryuu's reiatsu screamed of lust as Ichigo timed his thrusts; he always did have a lot of stamina.

It seemed they were getting close, Uryuu's countering thrust working in time with Ichigo's pressing gait. Their bodies were speaking to each other, pushing each other to the edge, driving each other to an insane pace; Ichigo driving in, his hand overtop the Quincy's erection sweat slicking their skin as the physical tried to keep up with their maddening attraction.

Uryuu was the first, the climax ripping through his body in coursing waves, spilling out onto the sheets and Ichigo's hand. His body continued to shake even after there was not a drop left in him, his muscles contracting all at once.

The sensation was not missed by Ichigo; the pressure around his already swelled member immediately caused a chain reaction as he came inside the contracting muscles. A deep growl emitted in Ichigo's throat in satisfaction and he licked the trickle of fluid from his palm. Ishida watched the action despite himself; Ichigo could look sexy doing anything.

With that, they collapsed simultaneously, drained and weakened. It was cold in the room, but their bodies together shared warmth. Ichigo grasped a blanket that somehow lodged itself underneath the bed and pulled it over the two of them.

Ichigo curled up behind Uryuu, already having the advantage of position. Uryuu didn't mind right now. He wouldn't argue if he tried, everything in his body was tired and unwilling to cooperate. He glanced back at his newly acquired…lover, he guessed. Somehow, things just wouldn't be the same between them. Ichigo raised up to lightly kiss Uryuu's cheek, a shock awaited him when there was no sign of his telltale smirk. Instead a smile splayed across his face as he lay back down.

"Get some rest. Uryuu."

Ishida awoke to the sound of someone else breathing.

A mental check list went off in his head before he started to panic.

He was still in Urahara's shop, due to the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings his bleary eyes could detect.

Glasses were on the nightstand.

A warmth encircled him that made him want to stay enveloped inside it. He nuzzled into it involuntarily.

Wait. What happened?

His mind consisted of a foggy cloud that could barely detect anything further than the moment he awoke. Somehow he had just got the best nap he ever recalled taking.

It was still daylight, though the sun was descending, rays of light making its way through the western windows.

Thoughts returned to the steady breathing at his side. Definitely not his own. A small snore emitted from the alternate body.

Ichigo.

Suddenly a few stray thoughts bashed him in the back of the head. Certainly the nap was not the only best event that occurred recently.

Uryuu recalled listening to conversations at school about how people wound up sleeping with someone else unintentionally. Usually it was boy meets girl, boy and girl have a few drinks, boy and girl accidentally do something they consequentially regret. He would often wonder to himself how anyone would be so ignorant as to let something unintentionally happen between themselves and other people.

With Ichigo lying beside him, he had a moment of sympathy for those people.

However a strong feeling welled in him that his logic could not shake. Emotions burst from under his skin at the peaceful sight of the shinigami lying beside him. He _felt_ things for him. He would do anything for him. Like absorb large amounts of spiritual energy to ensure that he didn't die. Stuff like that.

It was then he realized why he let those events occur. Uryuu cared about Ichigo. Probably even more than cared – but that was a good start.

A slight movement caught his attention again, and his head turned to catch a wisp of smile on Ichigo's face. The shinigami certainly did look peaceful as he slept.

Unable to bring himself to leave the warmth of the blankets, he sunk into the heat even more, pulling Ichigo's arms around him. A slight squeeze around his waist shot straight to his groin. Blushing slightly at the reaction, he rested his head against the pillow and closed his eyes.

Ishida awoke, once again reading through the mental checklist as his consciousness returned. This time however, his arousal was elicited from an outside force; one that was currently tracing a circle around his nipple. A small sigh escaped his lips unintentionally, but loud enough to draw attention.

"You're awake." Ichigo said, pausing only for a second to make the remark.

Uryuu was conscious enough to realize how it was the orange haired shinigami was able to revive him. The tip of his tongue peeked out and resumed conscribing the patch of rough skin, grazing over the small bump that began to protrude prominently.

It was hard to put into perspective; here was Ichigo Kurosaki, a soul reaper of all things, able to sway his Quincy self by small seductive touches. Agile fingers ran along his stomach and lightly caressed his thigh.

"What are you doing, Kurosaki?" he said, somehow keeping his level headedness in the lust induced haze.

"That should be obvious to someone as intelligent as you." The retort hinted at sarcasm, but the nature of its telling did not support the claim.

"Why are you –" A stab at intelligence again, before losing himself in more primitive emotions.

"I'm proving to you that this isn't some one time deal." Fixed amber eyes penetrated him before he could finish the remark; the dismissal of the sentence couldn't be faster. It was amazing how those eyes spoke so easily of confidence and determination.

Even the sound of the shinigami's voice was enough to drive the blood straight to his loins: It purred with passion and lust.

Their lips crushed together, pushing away the cloudiness of Ishida's sleep in one fell motion. All the fervor of their initial coupling retuned just as quickly.

Uryuu traced the patterns of Ichigo's body, the musculature became a welcomed friend as he recalled every line and curve. Movements came in waves as Ichigo positioned himself on top of Uryuu, embracing the Quincy in his warmth.

Ishida could hardly contain himself; the memory of their initial meeting added fuel to the fire so to speak, driving Uryuu to nip and kiss every available area to him as Ichigo roamed over his pale skin.

"I want you. Uryuu." Ishida's heart raced – he didn't think he could ever tire of hearing Ichigo's voice so filled with lust.

The intention wasn't quite understood until Uryuu's arousal was slick with the leftover oil and Ichigo was positioned on top of him.

"Oh." Was the only response Uryuu could muster. It quickly uplifted at the end as Ichigo slid easily over the shaft, burying Ishida's tip in the opening.

"I have never…" the ragged voice of the Quincy gasped, locked onto the visage of the shinigami.

Ichigo's scowl of concentration fell away to reveal a lighthearted smirk. "Don't worry. I've got this."

Somehow the words were comforting. Uryuu felt his body loosen, though he never realized it was tense to begin with.

The feeling returned as he felt his erection slowly sink into the heat. His eyes cast to a reassuring look from Ichigo.

"Relax." Was all the shinigami said, and that was enough.

With that, Uryuu was wrapped up in the exotic feeling immersing his member. It was unbelievably tight, contracting around the hardened shaft. His eyes rolled up as the motion quickened; apparently Ichigo had time to prepare before Uryuu had even awoke.

Fists curled around the sheets, dampened with their combined sweat; knuckles turned white as his temples pulsed with the intoxicating movement.

Ichigo bent forward and drew upon the Quincy's lips. Tongue curled around them, searching to meet his own; past unclenched teeth as Ichigo twisted intertwined the soft muscles together.

Uryuu wanted to do something; however he realized that his body was otherwise pinned underneath Ichigo's. His arms were locked with the shinigami's, as Ichigo used the leverage to keep himself upright on the shaft.

A twitch in his lower region; he was at the mercy of the powerful soul reaper, his handsome, strong frame writhing above him in passionate fervor. Completely powerless to act against rolling waves of lust pouring out of the soul reaper, he sharply drew breath and shivered.

Sensing the origin of ecstasy, Ichigo emitted a deep throated moan. So the Quincy liked to be restrained? He tested the theory by pulling Uryuu's hands above his head, slightly tightening his grip for effect.

Ishida's eyes widened and he blushed. Though he did not admit to enjoying the behavior, a slight jerk in his hip indicated otherwise.

Ichigo's telltale smirk appeared across the shinigami's face as he taunted the Quincy more. "Now I have you right where I want you."

Now it was Ishida's turn to ravish Ichigo's lips, biting and nipping out of pure desire and need for the orange haired boy above him.

An eyebrow kinked on Ichigo's face. Quite a surprising reaction from a boy who made it a point to avoid expressing emotion. The thought of Ishida's usual rough exterior compared to the sensuous creature now straining to devour his lips drove him insane, his reiatsu ascending to a maddening height. The added arousal of Uryuu grinding into Ichigo's hip despite his position was almost unbearable.

Adding his own friction to the motion, Ichigo rode out the wave of Uryuu's gait, increasing in speed and intensity and ravishing the tender area of his sweet spot. Wrestling free one hand from the hold, Uryuu quickly snatched up Ichigo's solid erection and vigorously pumped in time to their coupled rhythm. The sudden move caught Ichigo off guard, his body jerking against the motion in a lust induced fervor. A moan emitted from Ichigo's lips that rose in intensity as his back arched, seed spreading out over the Quincy's stomach. The shinigami collapsed overtop Uryuu, breathing heavily in his ear.

Collapsing muscles sent Ishida into his own orgasmic frenzy, coming deep in his partner – his lover; all the more overwhelming because it was Ichigo he was inside. The emotion welled in him like a tidal wave, bursting through his stoic cynicism and shattering barrier he tried to long to uphold.

Uryuu came to a realization at that moment: There was nowhere he'd rather be.

The two shared a tender embrace as their pulses assumed a slower regular beat. After a minute of internal dialogue with his other senses, Uryuu lifted a hand to turn Ichigo's visage toward his own. Their eyes met; one a sultry amber, the other a cool reflecting azure pool.

"Now that I have you, Ichigo Kurosaki," his voice laden with endearing passion, "I'm not going to let go." A chaste kiss was placed onto Ichigo's lips, who breathed into the pressure and returned with his own lasting peck.

If only Uryuu could bottle up that smile. Ichigo looked so incredibly handsome when that permanent scowl was wiped away. A thought occurred to him – who else had ever seen this smile? Ishida blushed to think that he may be only one of few to witness this rare occasion; that he was important enough to see it.

"That's why I wanted to bring you back." Ichigo gently brushing Uryuu's dark eyelashes with his thumb. "I couldn't let you die."

Uryuu's eyebrows rose up at the center at the admittance of such strong emotions residing in the otherwise permanently scowling shinigami. No traces of that frown on his face either, he visibly noted.

Ichigo emitted a well placed kiss on Ishida's forehead and slid almost unwillingly from the Quincy's lap. Uryuu felt the same as at last the limp member retreated from the hot center of Ichigo's body. There was a numb emptiness that settled in his gut.

The shinigami hopped up from the bed and slipped on his previously discarded T shirt. It had some pattern on it that Uryuu hadn't originally paid heed to, with the words 'my world' in small red print.

"Let me get something to…" Ichigo froze as he gazed upon the Quincy.

Uryuu was looking down at the puddle on his stomach. A finger drew through the center of the liquid and he inspected it closer, curiosity etched into his face.

Ichigo's eyes widened as a tongue poked out to savor the sample. An odd look crossed Ishida's face, then he noticed Ichigo's stare.

"I wanted to know. Not like strawberries…but you still taste good."

A smirk found its way to the soul reaper's face. A flick of his wrist and the remaining mess was discarded.

In Ishida's small room, Urahara had seen that the Quincy's stay would be as comfortable as it could be. Along with modifying the guest quarters, he also made sure that the adjoining bathroom was given exclusive use by adding sliding paneling between the rooms. As of right now, the gesture was appreciated two fold.

I'm gonna take a shower." Ichigo stretched, throwing a towel over his shoulder. "You coming?"

"I can wait." The Quincy announced, propping up on the mattress and adjusting his glasses, pressing them against the bridge of his nose. As if by magic needle and thread were already in hand; though his still visibly naked body poked out from under the covers. Leave it to Ishida to still be able to look proper after the best ravishing Ichigo had to offer.

"I'll call you in when I'm done, then."

"Arigato, Ichigo."

The shinigami paused at the informal use of his name. For as long as he could remember, Uryuu always referred to him by his family name when speaking directly to him; it was just a known commodity. To hear Uryuu use his first name sent a pleasant tingle down his spine.

"Sure, Uryuu."

Ichigo thought he could get used to this.

* * *

So there it is! The next chapter will be from both of their POV about what just happened. The chapter after should be right back on par with the storyline, so if you are more interested in that just consider this a brief interlude. 

Special thanks to everyone who helped me make it through unlucky chapter thirteen, hope fourteen showed enough appreciation...wink!


	15. The Confinement of Feelings

I bring you chapter 15(!). I guess Uryuu and Ichigo still had something left in them, so the story plot continues after this chapter; anyone trying to a void yaoi can resume this story then. Both characters POV, I tried to make it obvoius of who says what. There's a lovely bit of acting in scene 42...but you can judge that for yourselves.

I've read it, re-read it, had jindouji beta read it...and I got tired, so I'm posting. For taking so long I've made up for it by this being the longest post thus far! Hope it's a good trade off.

I do not own bleach, but I do own the video game!

* * *

The Confinement of Feelings

The hot spray rushed across his face and down his chest. Turning to let the water soak his hair and trickle along his back, he closed his eyes and took in the warm feeling that overcame his body.

If anyone asked him two days ago, Ishida Uryuu would have been the last person Ichigo ever thought about. Period. Regardless of _what_ type of relationship. The occasional tear in Kon's body that needed repair was the only service the shinigami required of the Quincy. Homework study wasn't even on the priority list. Ichigo just didn't associate with Ishida.

Now the raven haired boy was all he could think of. With his eyes closed, he could still feel the soft, porcelain white skin shifting under his touch. The taste of him, his smell…

How did this happen? Two days ago he distinctly remembering yelling or cursing at him about something. Right now it didn't even seem to matter about what.

Water ran into his mouth. The flavor of the Quincy's lips lingered on his skin, now washing away in the current. A bittersweet parting as the fragrance was replaced by the paltry essence of body wash. Not that the soap smelled bad – he believed it came from Uryuu's home per his request since Urahara asked him to stay – but it paled in comparison to the Quincy's own. Hands ran slowly up his chest, casually rubbing the slippery substance across his shoulders.

Ever since Uryuu healed him, rescued his body and soul from utter destruction – he felt the need to protect and support. These emotions were far deeper than words could describe; when Uryuu became close to death himself, nothing could have prevented him from assisting the Quincy. In a single moment, Ichigo realized he didn't want to lose him.

Come to think of it, the concept of keeping-each-other-alive rivalry was a weak attempt to keep Uryuu around. Arguing and bickering became a shared form of communication. Hollow battles were times they could spend together without making an excuse for the cause. That way he could stay close to Ishida, even if it was at arms length.

Somehow, his heart knew what his mind so blindly ignored. He absentmindedly reached out to Uryuu's reiatsu, just to feel the energy thread through his own. The familiar wisps were settling, a calm aura flowing from the spirit strands. How was he blind this whole time to these apparently strong feelings?

No matter. Now that he was aware, nothing would stop him from pursuing means of a deeper bond with the Quincy. Rivals or not, Ichigo would not let matters come between a potential relationship.

The water flow ceased as he turned the handle. Better save some for Uryuu.

* * *

The needle passed through the material easily. A few stitches had already finished the shirt, now he closed the remaining inches of a new bed sheet so that he may service the old one. 

It wasn't that Ichigo's shower had been exceptionally long. Uryuu's prowess made him captain of the handicrafts club, his high dexterity finished off projects quickly and professionally; it was a skill that he was proud of.

It also gave him time to think. Like what the hell he just got himself into. The logic center of his brain came at him full force, asking all sorts of previously avoided topics as soon as Ichigo left the room. Luckily the shinigami's skill at reading reiatsu was still lacking. Not lacking – it was _bad_. The thoughts that came pouring out of his mind would have set the orange haired boy off.

Now that the soul reaper was otherwise occupied, he had to fight off an exceptional opponent. It wasted no time in manifesting itself.

_So…you just had intimate relations with your mortal adversary. How do you feel?_

His own self doubt.

_I admit that it was good. I wonder how he became such a skilled lover; maybe other 'friends', perhaps?_

Uryuu bit down on his lip so hard that a small trickle of blood seeped from the soft skin. Still, his gritted teeth did not cease their pressure, but neither did the internal belittling.

_What will your classmates say? Don't say it doesn't matter, because it always does._

Ishida had been forced to hear the same disheartening melodramatics from his mind for a long time. Though somehow he had gotten used to it over the years; the depression seeping into his bones and settling in the core of his mind, the languid voice pointing out his mistakes and ridiculing his better judgment.

The endeavor with Ichigo made it a little louder. To Uryuu, it became a little less tolerable.

_Shut up_. He told himself. _Ichigo is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. This damn inner monologue isn't going to ruin it._

_What if that demon has fangs now?_ The voice inquired.

Uryuu's eyes widened. The echo that sounded in his head was not the same as the menial voice of reason. There was an ache in his shoulder, the point that Urahara had indicated earlier. Clutching at it as if to force the demon back down into the depths from where it came, fingertips dug at the bandages still covering the wound.

_You'll have to be stronger. All of you, body and spirit, is your kingdom. What will you do to stay king?_ It prodded, looking for an answer.

Uryuu almost panicked. A welling sensation overpowered his senses, reinforcing the potential domination of dark energy into his consciousness. The sickening thought of evil turned his stomach. As a Quincy, no form of torture could have been worse.

Thoughts fled to Ichigo. The shinigami's smile gave him confidence against the corrosive voice.

"Nothing will keep me from Ichigo. Even if I have to fight every hollow in existence, I will not lose myself." A vow he struck out loud, determined to suppress the dull burning in his soul, the tainted flow of spiritual power that he came to recognize as manifested hollow energy.

The voice quieted, leaving him only a parting phrase.

_We shall see, Ishida Uryuu. The time will come._

Quietness of the room was a welcoming sound, the empty nothing filling his mind with relief. Breathing a sigh, he let his reiatsu resume its low level regularity. None too soon, he felt familiar wild spirited wisps reach out to feel his own.

Ichigo had a lot to learn about subtlety; the threading of Uryuu's spiritual energy made him suck in his breath, the analogy of being tickled through the center of his body the only description of the odd sensation. Kind of amused, he let the soul reaper entertain himself and eventually the feeling dissipated.

Uryuu heard the water shut off from the bath area. After sounds of a minor skirmish, the shinigami emerged from the room, a roll of steam following the trail of his clothed body. A towel lay on his head, covering mostly damp orange hair, while a comb firmly planted itself between his teeth. Plopping at the corner of the bed he turned to Uryuu with a playful look in his eye. The towel haphazardly splayed across the thick spikes as Ichigo made an attempt to scrub the water from them.

Utterly sexy, Uryuu thought. Why did he deny himself this experience before? An answer still eluded him.

"Yuore ture Eryuoo." Speech was still possible through the teeth of a comb, so proved Ichigo. Greedy eyes focused on the bob of his throat as he pronounced his name. Yes, a shower would definitely be in order to keep those thoughts from getting any further.

"Arigato, Kur-…Ichigo." It might take a little more time to get used to that, since practicality ruled over every aspect of his life. Everyone he referred to had some proper title, so to call Ichigo 'Ichigo' was a monumentous feat. He had to admit he liked it though.

The shinigami gazed at him again, a smile in his eyes. Apparently he wasn't the only one. If the informal addressing caused such a pleasant reaction, he would have to ensure its provocation in the future.

Uryuu adjusted his glasses, trying to conceal the blush that rose on his face. Wearing simply the shirt he masterfully reapplied his buttons to, he traversed to the bathroom for his own shower.

The thought of how those buttons were ripped so callously off the material sent a surge of warmth to Ichigo's lower extremities – saying that Uryuu was also unclothed from the waist down almost sent the soul reaper headlong into the bathing area with him.

Sensing the spike in spiritual pressure from Ichigo, the reddened color Uryuu tried to suppress on his face increased. Turning enough in the doorway, he caught a glimpse of Ichigo's widened eyes before the door clamped shut.

Uryuu did have to take a shower, after all.

* * *

Upon emerging from the bathroom, Uryuu found Ichigo reclined on the bed. His eyes were closed, seemingly asleep. A peaceful look encompassed Ichigo's face, a welcomed difference from the permanent scowl he adopted. 

Grabbing a few clothes and putting them on, Uryuu's gaze did not waver from the still form of the shinigami. Time permitting, he seen an opportunity arise. Cursing thoughts put into his head during the shower, he allowed himself to play out the scene.

Uryuu straddled Ichigo's hips, gently applying pressure to the wrists casually crossed supporting his head.

Ichigo's eyes flicked open suddenly, then relaxed as soon as he became aware of his surroundings. Raising an eyebrow, he played into the scenario. "What are you doing?" sleep still clinging to his words.

"Exploring." The Quincy volunteered.

"Mn." A retort issued from closed lips.

Uryuu pressed against them gently, barely depressing the skin. The trail continued into the hollow of his neck and onto his clothed chest.

A similar sound from Ichigo emitted again, but it edged more toward a moan than the first.

Uryuu suddenly felt like experimenting. Ichigo was a completely new experience; despite subtle classroom suspicion, Uryuu never been intimate – or even remotely thought about – being with another man. The soul reaper was a first in many things, including eliciting an erotic side of Ishida that he had up until recently never new. Lower the lips roamed, until arriving at the loosely clasped belt, the frayed end dangling apart from the rest of the strip. Skilled and dexterous hands now released from his arms deftly shirked the cloth strip loose and undid the clasp of pants in one motion, the thin fingers grasping the manhood unbelievably quickly.

Ichigo's breath sucked in. How the hell could Ishida move like that?

"I want you to teach me how you do this." His face was dangerously close to a now hardened member, and the breath of the Quincy was enough to cause shivers along his spine. Teach him? In this condition? He'd be lucky to mutter anything _coherent_ at the moment.

"Unless you'd rather me learn on my own." The tone was nonchalant, but the point was made. "I want you to know how this felt to me."

Knuckles where white in the sheets now, the steady breath Uryuu expelled wreaked all kinds of havoc on his senses. A tingling sensation shot through his body as a velvety tongue brushed across the tip.

Adjusting the glasses, Uryuu spoke. "Apparently this is an art that has to be done rather than spoken. How about a simple yes or no while I work?"

'No' seemed an unlikely response. If Ishida were as adept with his tongue as he was with his hands, Ichigo was in deep trouble. A smile crept over his face at the concept.

"Okay." Ichigo stammered, a concentrated furrow on his brow.

Uryuu remembered the feelings that Ichigo elicited from their earlier skirmish. Techniques in mind, he started slowly, wrapping his tongue around the hardened pillar. Down his head went, sinking the shaft into the heat of Uryuu's mouth. A whimper from Ichigo – a much different expression from the boasting powerful shinigami from before, Uryuu swelled with a pride of domination over the exceptionally strong spiritual pressure; the Quincy could literally feel the ebb of energy bend to Ishida's will.

The greed of lust set in, propelling Uryuu to devour the soul reaper more. The tip buried in his throat as a growl curled from his stomach.

"Y-yea…ss." Ichigo bucked slightly, trying not to choke the Quincy in the process. Hands gripped tightly against his hips, preventing any further motion on his part. His eyes gazed upward as he immersed in the exotic roll of tongue across the rock hard erection. Yes, Uryuu had a lot of dexterity in more than just sewing. Right now, Ichigo was really happy about that fact.

"Aahhh-" Ichigo breathed, air coming in shortened bursts. At this rate, he wasn't going to last much longer. His hands pressed into the still damp raven hair, careful not to tug on the silken strands. Even dry, the hair contained a shiny texture; wetness accentuated the soft luster. The added feeling sent his mind back to the delicate pale skin of Ishida Uryuu and how it felt under his touch.

"I-!" Ichigo realizing where the train of thought was going, he slammed on the brakes before his lust induced emotions would send him over the edge too soon.

Clever Ishida, the perceptive intellectual he was, sensed the hesitation. Ichigo's spiritual reiatsu was flaring way above control, causing the leaking energy to spill out and bathe them both in the blue wisps of flickering essence. All this from a simple action? Ichigo certainly needed to learn some self control, indeed. Being able to manipulate the shinigami's power gave Uryuu a sense of unlimited capability, and he became drunk on the power of control. The Quincy watched the flat abdomen rise and fall, muscles straining against the restricting hands: A handsome landscape of flesh constituted Ichigo's body, the desirable soul reaper beneath him. Sensing the shortened breaths, Uryuu shifted his weight and exacted the same treatment Ichigo gave him earlier; he poured on the speed.

"aaah…Ahh!" Ichigo's ragged gasp stuck in his throat as the thunderous orgasm ripped through his body. All of the strength he had was forced into the one momentous surge as his back arched and hips bucked in the release, sequential jerks involuntarily coursing through his body as every last burst was spent. The grip on Uryuu's hair loosened – if it had become too tight Uryuu said nothing – and Ichigo's body fell limply onto the bed. If any power was left, it failed to acknowledge itself as Ichigo's spent frame shook slightly in after-tremors.

Gazing upon Uryuu, he realized that the Quincy had bested the wave of ecstasy that had rolled over the soul reaper, accepting every bit of seed he had to offer. With what little strength he had left, he hoisted the archer up to his lips and kissed him, his tongue savoring the combined taste of himself and the sweet texture in Uryuu's mouth.

Ichigo's breathing resumed a slow pace, Uryuu hearing the deep thrum of his heartbeat from his chest against his cheek. They were both satisfied, Uryuu's curiosity and Ichigo's physical lust sated. The silence was peaceful, encircling them in an atmosphere of calm.

* * *

There was a thud at the door. Before either of them could move, a small stuffed lion shoved the panel open while saying something. Apparently he wasn't even paying attention. 

"-to make sure everything was all right at home, but then you sister tried to grab me, so the first chance I got I ran all the way back here! Than Urahara-san told me that you were keeping Ishida-san company, and I told him that I'd be safer with you. So, ta-dai-mAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the mortified plushy voice rose to a scream, the completely hetero mod soul unable to comprehend what was going on. Ishida and Kurosaki? Cuddling?!

"I leave you two alone for a few hours and look at you!" his paws stuck into his sides at the sight, and accusing claw pointing to the two of them. "You've forgotten the marvels of the female body! Just the thought of those beautiful valleys is enough to make me swoon!" his hands were raised up to his face, an enamored look on his face. One could see stars in his eyes, but that quickly diverted into flames at the two still laying in bed.

A mixed expression of agitation, surprise and amusement crossed both of the boy's features. Ichigo subconsciously placed a palm out on front of his face, mystifying Uryuu as to why; it then became clear as the plush body projectile slammed into the obstacle, wriggling its legs feverishly toward the unattainable goal.

"Ichhhhiiiiiiigggggooooooo! How could you forget about Inoue-san's glorious sacred mountains?" Fountains of tears streamed through the fingers and all about Ichigo's face.

"Shaddap, will ya?" Ichigo's playful irritation seeping from his lips. "I didn't forget anything. And stop being annoying for a change." Ichigo's voice in the scolding had taken on a calm demeanor, harboring no ill intent toward the small plushy. Was it just his imagination, or had the soul reapers permanent scowl soften a bit recently?

Kon plopped with a squeak onto the broad chest of Ichigo. His head darted back and forth between the two boys, still trying to comprehend the scene. After noting both of their expressions, he covered his mouth in dismay. Sweat drops sprayed from his head as he feverishly pointed between the two.

"You guys are-! You were-!" he gaped, unable to finish his sentences.

The two just stared at him, not implicating any more than he already thought.

"I KNEW IT!" You've never tricked me!" He hopped triumphantly against Ichigo's ribcage, making breaths wisp out from the pressure.

With inexplicable speed, Ichigo's hand snatched Kon out of the air around his neck. He casually tossed him from the side of the bed and waited for the distinct 'thunk' to follow. A skritching sounded as Kon clambered back up to the shinigami's shoulder.

"Honestly! Why didn't you say anything about this before?" Kon pouted, scrambling back on top of the soul reaper. "I'm your leader; you're supposed to tell me these things!"

Ichigo was going to retort in his usual manner from the sound of his sigh, but suddenly he stopped. "I don't know. It just kind of …happened." The sudden seriousness caught the two listeners off guard.

The tone was picked up immediately by Uryuu. As their gazes met, the Quincy could see that the furrow of Ichigo's brow had indeed lessened considerably, a compassionate expression bestowed upon the dark haired archer.

The partitioned door was rapped on again, knocking the door against the frame in succession. Tinged eyeglasses outfitted the man silhouetted in the doorway, slightly stooping from his sheer size to peer into the room.

"Urahara-san has some news that he would like to share with you." He stated, disregarding the scene before him. His voice indicated that the matter was something of an urgent nature.

Both boys sprang up at the announcement, knowing that any news from Urahara had some connotations of importance, usually negatively aligned. To emphasize the point, Tessai's burly shadow had already left the hall, leaving the sliding door gaping at the empty corridor.

* * *

Ah, yes. The plot thickens! I'm sure the plot is already this congealed mass already - I can imagine my story becoming a can of condensed soup as I speak. Chapter 16 will be up as soon as I add water. Or milk - it tends to make the story richer :) 

Review, please?


	16. Paralyzed

The first part is a recap for those of you who wanted to skip past the yaoi lemon/strawberry smutiness. Back to the story!

* * *

Paralyzed

_The partitioned door was rapped on again, knocking the door against the frame in succession. Tinged eyeglasses outfitted the man silhouetted in the doorway, slightly stooping from his sheer size to peer into the room._

"_Urahara-san has some news that he would like to share with you." He stated, disregarding the scene before him. His voice indicated that the matter was something of an urgent nature._

_Both boys sprang up at the announcement, knowing that any news from Urahara had some connotations of importance, usually negatively aligned. To emphasize the point, Tessai's burly shadow had already left the hall, leaving the sliding door gaping at the empty corridor._

As they came to the meeting room, they were greeted with the ever smiling face of the shop owner. Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were also present.

"Why hello, Kurosaki-san! Ishida-san! How are you feeling?" The fan spread over his face, concealing the only bit of his visage left exposed from the brim of his green and white striped hat. "Did your talk go well?" he asked pointedly at Ichigo.

Apparently Urahara knew Ichigo went to his room, Uryuu thought. Probably to apologize, being that the original reason for the visit. That would also indicate that they had been together this whole time; what else might the shopkeeper implicate? The internal reference drew a light blush to his cheeks, which he battled down immediately.

"Yeah, we got everything settled." As if Ichigo had acted this moment out before, he wore the classic scowl known so well among the members of Urahara's shop.

The return of the frown tugged at Uryuu's thoughts. For a moment, he felt troubled to see the normal countenance again; however as soon as Urahara leaned away to obtain a teapot resting on the side table, Ichigo gave the boy a light jab and raised an eyebrow toward him.

A warm feeling washed over Uryuu's body; then with slight alarm he realized that Ichigo had tugged at his reiatsu, a playful smirk on his face. The Quincy jerked upright and pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose, concealing the redness of his face as the tingling sensation passed through him.

Damn soul reaper.

At least he caught the look Ichigo gave him; that moment lifted his spirits against the somber expression he witnessed with Urahara. Was the shinigami that heavy of an influence on him?

"Please, have a seat." Urahara told the two, gesturing with his closed fan. Two pillows on the floor were conveniently set out for them, which they quickly alighted.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news." Urahara casually remarked, offering the boys some tea. "It seems that we've got some traffic in the area."

"A Hollow?" Ichigo surmised.

"More than one. Several actually."

The two noted Urahara's ever present sideways smile. With the flick of a wrist, the fan flared open as he continued. "Not as strong as the menos from before, but what they're lacking in strength, they're making up for in number."

Both of the boys shared an equally serious expression.

"It seems that defeating the leader has brought out the lackeys, which wouldn't normally be a problem; but we're short one hero as of lately." Urahara peeked from under the brim of his hat at Uryuu.

Without the glance, Uryuu knew who he was referring to. Battling his inner demons earlier was enough to convince him of the fact he couldn't risk a reiatsu build of any decency.

"That's not a problem." Ichigo's eyebrow twitched as a curl rose on his lip. "I'll be plenty enough for the hollows to play with."

"I'm sure you will, Kurosaki-san. Momentarily we will be receiving information from Kuchiki-san: She went on reconnaissance to find out the exact number moving within the real world and locations."

A ringing sound reverberated in the room. The tune sounded oddly familiar as Urahara drew a phone from inside his kimono jacket and flicked it open.

"Moshimoshi! Urahara Shoten, Urahara desu." His voice sounded cheery, maintaining a classic shop keeper tone as he rattled the line. As Urahara listened, his smile faded slightly as his eyes widened. The phone clamped shut without a word, and no one could discern the features on his face under the green striped hat.

Suddenly he cleared his throat. Shifting to gaze Ichigo, Urahara's voice was downright serious. "You've got you work cut out for you, Kurosaki-san."

"Alright!" Ichigo jumped to his feet, readiness spread across his face in earnest. "I'll beat them all and be back in time for dinner!" He twisted around, scanning the ground for something. "Where's that rug rat when I need him? Kon!"

"Ai!" a scuffle from the next room, along with several squeaks, indicated that the plush lion was listening in next door. Running up to Ichigo and saluting, the serious look did not suit the stuffed exterior body as he spoke. "Ready!"

He wasn't as prepared when Ichigo jammed his hand into his mouth to search for the mod pill. "Pmmtmthhmtttt!"

"Ah, there it is." Ichigo closed his hand around the small green pill and after rubbing it on his shirt, promptly tossed it into his own mouth. The corporeal form stepped out of the still standing body of Ichigo, clad in complete shinigami attire.

"What about allies? Do you plan on Chad-san and Inoue-san helping you?" Kon pointed out.

"No." The statement was defiant and forceful. "I don't want them involved. They haven't had a chance to develop their abilities, yet. At that rate, they'll just get in my way."

"Rukia said that she would meet you at the closest hollow to this shop – that's about two blocks north of here." Urahara's eyes peered intently in the shade of his hat.

"Alright! Let's get this over with, already!" A hand went reflexively to the hilt of zangetsu. Turning to the nearest exit, a shift in the corner of his eye redirected his attention: Uryuu had jumped up as well; fists clenched in a determined pose, eyes narrowed against knitted brows.

To everyone else, it was obvious that Uryuu didn't like having to hang back from the action. Ichigo knew that it meant a little more.

"Don't die, soul reaper." Uryuu picked through the words.

A hand clapped against the Quincy's shoulder. "I won't. We made a promise, remember?" The softened expression sent a chill down Uryuu's spine.

With that the substitute shinigami was gone, and Uryuu was left to sort through his feelings. He quietly went back to his partitioned room.

Damn it! He hated feeling useless. Heat surged under his skin as he thought about Ichigo. He wanted to be out there helping him. Instead he was a breakable toy that needed to be put away carefully to insure its protection. Helpless, fragile, and of no use to any one.

Uryuu sighed heavily and plopped onto the bed. He let his head touch the pillow and he gazed up at the ceiling. Nothing to do but sit and wait.

A thud came from the partitioned door, and Uryuu was almost surprised to Ichigo standing at the entrance of his room. Quickly his mind informed him that it was only Kon, noting the limp animal body stuffed under his arm and the almost joyous countenance that only the mod soul brought on. Was Ichigo's face capable of such an endeavor?

Kon sat at the foot of the bed, leaning against the bedside table in the process. A moment passed in silence between the two bodies.

"If things get too rough, Urahara gave me permission to help out Ichigo." The mod soul even had a different infliction to Ichigo's voice, even though they were the same vocal chords. He tossed a look over at the bespectacled boy lying on the bed. "He'll be okay."

At that moment Uryuu realized that Kon was seemingly trying to _comfort_ him. What an odd behavior coming from this pseudo-Ichigo.

"I'm fine." The retort came out a little harsher than he intended. Softening his tone he continued. "I just don't like feeling…useless."

"But you're not!" The mod soul turned on him suddenly, determined brown eyes peering into azure ones. "Even sitting here, you're doing a world of good to him. Remember, his power comes from his friends; just the thought of you is giving him the strength to deal with those hollows." A hand clasped his shoulder, sealing the statement.

Uryuu had to admit, Kon's words – albeit sappy – made him feel slightly better about the whole ordeal. Giving an appreciative nod for the kind words, he saw the pseudo-Ichigo's smile widen a bit more.

"Don't worry – if things get tough, I'll help out. After all, he is my loyal subordinate." A wink followed as he rose to his feet. "I'll let you know if that time comes." He waved over his shoulder and the panel slid closed behind him. Cushioned footsteps thudded back down the hall.

Ishida lay on the bed, still gazing at the ceiling. If he tried a little, he could feel the distant wild reiatsu flowing from the soul reaper, otherwise engaged in battle. Closing the spiritual link again, he dared not keep the connection open to prevent dark energy from seeping in.

It was hard to stay calm in his situation. In a battle he knew what to face and how to react to it. Accounting for other peoples actions were a variable he couldn't calculate. Sure, Ichigo was a strong soul reaper; but against how many? Urahara had not even stated the number: Though if it were a huge amount, Uryuu was sure that the store keeper would have sent his employees along with Ichigo.

Sitting and thinking certainly made things seem worse than they were.

He could still smell Ichigo on his pillow.

Snatching up the small cross stitch project that had carelessly been abandoned on the floor, he set to work on completing the frame. Distractions were drove from his mind by calculated strokes from a needle, total focus on the object in front of him.

* * *

A slice down the center of a hollow seared a blue trail of flame in a blast of spiritual energy. Ichigo breathed slightly harder: Fifth hollow in a row.

"How many of these things are there?" The orange haired shinigami called to his female counterpart.

"I told you, every five minutes a new one forms in another location; I can't give an exact –"

"Then guess!" he shouted, jumping onto another beast form sword first.

Rukia glanced at her GPS, more that slightly annoyed at the continual beeping brought on from repetitively accruing hollows. She would have to tell Urahara to change the tone, but not before she broke the thing in her bare hands. Dark eyes shifting over the multiplying dots, she speculated. "Another thirty or so."

"No problem!" An overhead chop, sending another demon cascading in white light particles toward the sky: One down, twenty-nine to go.

Ichigo had been defeating regular hollows like these for months, so the thought of more than a couple was mere child's play. It was even downright boring. He had time to fantasize briefly about Uryuu while he brought about the end of another hollow's existence.

"How about now?" After several similar rituals were performed.

"…the same." Rukia gritted. Even with her kido, the number hadn't decreased much.

A grunt of frustration sounded from the substitute soul reaper. Even with his limitless amount of spiritual energy, this repetitive exercise was tiring him out. Not that it would stop him from fighting, but he was starting to wonder when it would let up.

A chirping sound from Rukia's tracker. This time it was a call from Urahara.

"Hai," she answered. After a few seconds of listening, she responded the same and clicked a button on the facing. Turing toward Ichigo, who was consumed in another hollow battle, she called out to him. "Urahara's sending reinforcements."

"I don't need any, thanks." The shinigami yelled back.

Rukia paused to think of a retort. "Unlike you, I don't want to be stuck here all night. We have class tomorrow."

Class: He'd forgotten. He skipped a day or two last week, and he was sure he needed to make up some homework. If his mind was unoccupied enough to think of that, these hollows were a piece of cake. "I'll finish this before nine."

The female shinigami sighed, unable to bring herself to the self torture of telling Ichigo that it already was nine. Instead, he sunk her frustration into kido at another hollow, dutifully calling out 'hadono sanjusan' in her incantation.

* * *

Uryuu hands clenched as Kon spoke. "It's been a few hours and hollows are still entering our world. Urahara believes that there's a portal directly from Hueco Mundo in the area, so he sent his gang to investigate."

Brows furrowed, Ishida heard the last comment the mod soul made. "I'm going to go too, since they need someone who could run around and look for it."

Here he was: Stuck in Urahara's shop with no other purpose to the cause. Anger had left its mark, turning his normally pale cheeks a red tinge.

"Listen," Kon knelt at the bedside. "I didn't want to say this but I guess I have no choice." A sigh, and the mod soul continued. "When Ichigo leaves his body, traces of his signature remain for a while; it's like when someone gives you a blanket they were using, and it's still warm. Their body heat sorta represents their spiritual energy. I guess." He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah."

Uryuu's gaze softened a bit.

"I…_felt_…how Ichigo feels about you. If something happened to you out there, it would kill him." An abnormally serious look filled Kon's face, making him seem a lot more like the characteristic that he inhabited. "It wouldn't hurt to just stick around here for a bit and get better, you know? For him."

The anger disappeared from the visage of the Quincy all together. Instead, the Quincy kept a straight face, only clenching his teeth when he swallowed.

Kon then leapt up on his feet, the fluid motion only partially showing the agility of his legwork. With a smile he was gone, leaving Uryuu to stir in his emotional soup.

The Shoten was empty, Urahara apparently found a purpose to go himself. After a brief tour of the empty shop, Uryuu returned to his room and stooped to pick up his book bag. Aside from the sewing materials, the cloth of his Quincy uniform poked through, neatly folded inside the small space. After a moment's hesitation, he donned the attire and slid out of the residence himself.

Ishida Uryuu was not going to be useless.

* * *

"COME ON!" After several hours of hollow hunting, Ichigo's normally short patience was beyond expired. Hadn't anyone found out where these hollows were coming from?

On top of that, the number remained fixed in double digits, forcing the squad of two to pull every resource they could for their multiple hour bout with the beasts. Their power near to exhausted, they both hoped that the reign of hollows would end soon.

Urahara's team was a welcomed relief; at least their effort divided among the white masked monsters gave then a chance to pause and regain their breath.

"This is even worse than when Uryuu broke that stupid bait!" Ichigo snarled into a beast, cleanly severing the pallid face in half. It disappeared into the surrounding atmosphere, surrendering its particles to the sky. Leaning onto the downward pointed zanpakuto, he regained a steady intake.

He had hoped for a better memory of Uryuu at that moment. Droning through hollow after hollow was starting to agitate his already volatile state. Wishing the Quincy was there wasn't an option; the constant barrage of hollows would definitely batter his reiatsu. Better to keep him in his thoughts, he surmised.

A beeping caught his attention. In the distance he could make out the sight of Jinta swatting down a particularly ugly hollow, with bat wings and a horn. His ears detected the ringing ceased and he glanced at Rukia. Noting how short the conversation was, he could only guess who she was talking to and about what.

"Found it." She stated, breathing a bit heavier than normal. "Karakura Memorial Bridge, south bank."

Ichigo's face turned ashen when he recognized the area; the same place his mother died.

Jumping along the rooftops, they quickly closed the distance between them and their intended destination.

* * *

Uryuu overheard the conversation from the shadows as he watched the two bound away. Apparently he joined the battle at the right time, he internally concluded. Keeping his reiatsu hidden, he followed the two shinigami from a distance, masking his own presence. At least from here he would be of some assistance, rather than house sitting the Urahara shop. Here, he could help.

Uryuu clutched at the small bag he brought along with him. A small jingling sound bristled the air as he ran to keep up with the retreating shinigami. The small noise redirected his attention. He didn't need to use spiritual arrows to help Ichigo, as long as he had other means of attack.

That's only if he needed to help; Uryuu was in complete faith that the soul reaper could handle whatever came at him.

However, there was a feeling that the Quincy couldn't shake; a disturbance, a sensation in his gut that something was wrong.

Uryuu hoped it was just a feeling.

* * *

Reviews make me happy. 


	17. Worldly Possession

Sorry it's taking so long to update the stories - where most people would have more time to write during the winter break, my schedule is just the opposite. sigh I'm doing the best I can, however, providing you with adequate reading material for the new year. Hope you enjoy it!

I don't own bleach.

* * *

Worldly Possession

Arriving at the Karakura Memorial Bridge, the two shinigami were met with Urahara and Kon. Sounds from behind them indicated that the shop owner's employees were fast approaching, swatting hollows along the way. The reiastu here was heavy; it was a good indication that this was the place hollows had been arriving from Hueco Mundo.

As if on cue, several more spewed forth from the dimensional rift, hollows flowing from the portal in a cascade of black a purple energy. Those too were efficiently cut down before any trouble ensued.

Urahara intently glared at his GPS, intently tracking the hollow behavior as Ichigo ended another beast's existence. "This is very interesting." The striped hated man commented, loud enough for the others to hear.

"What is?" Ichigo asked, the annoyance edging on his voice. "And you better not say you see hollows!" Zangetsu deftly cut through another hollow, slicing all the way to the soft dirt below.

"Actually yes, Kurosaki-san!" the store owner smiled widely, greatly appreciating the chance to deepen Ichigo's irritation. A slapping of hand on forehead only made the effect sweeter.

"What I really discovered is that the hollows are exuding a very peculiar behavior. Instead of devouring souls or generally disrupting and wreaking havoc, they seem to be …roaming."

What the hell does that mean?" the soul reaper stood a mere ten feet away from Urahara, the well-known frown etched in his face. The zanpakuto wavered in place, waiting for an answer from the sandaled man before continuing its onslaught.

"If you haven't noticed, the hollows you have been slaying haven't been attacking you; they've been only lashing out in self defense. It seems as though they're…looking for something." Casually the man held out the hollow tracker at arms length

Lifting the phone from Urahara, Ichigo listened as the store keeper continued. "In the past four hours hollows have traversed an area of Karakura town exceeding eighty five percent of the rural environment; only minimal damage has been sustained to any of that region. Most of that was due to conflict with hollows."

Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed into a deeper scowl. "What are these bastards up to?"

"That I am not sure." Urahara's sideways smirk under the wide brimmed hat said enough of the current situation.

* * *

Close enough to hear, but far enough away to maintain his secure position, Uryuu was intently focusing on the green striped man's words; certainly something was going on, and he was busy racking his brain for a feasible reason why. What other purpose would all these hollows serve in Karakura at once?

A rustle redirected his entire attention behind him. A hollow had been pressing his position for some time, but had not ventured this close until now. Its proximity must have closed until it detected him.

No matter. A low level demon like this would be easy to polish off, even without his Quincy powers. Producing the small bag from the inside pocket of his uniform, he pressed two fingers into the opening, extracting a small pill-like device.

"I will feast on your soul!" the hollow defiantly screamed.

_Hardly_, Ishida thought as the object was tossed at the beast. A shockwave of reiatsu exploded from the orb, resulting in a touch induced spiritual electrocution.

The hollow destabilized, its spirit particles disappearing quickly. It was effective and direct, hardly any energy expelled outward to merit notice from the others.

He silently thanked the shop keeper's odd inventory. The mechanism itself was simple, absorbing latent spirit energy from Uryuu while he carried it; upon impact it sent all charged energy into the unwitting opponent. Uryuu made a mental note to purchase more from Urahara at a later date.

Wiping dust from his jacket, he thought of the next logical move. Certainly he could not go around all of Karakura pelting pill-orbs at hollows; he needed to find out what the main objective was. Mind racing through possible scenarios, he felt the presence of another hollow edging too close. Luckily his comrades would not spot him; the inclusion on the wooded area offered a great deal of protection from prying eyes. He readied himself to attack the new intruder.

* * *

"It seems that there are two different types that are emanating from this gate." Urahara concluded after monitoring the dimensional fissure for several minutes.

"Hollows?" Rukia questioned.

The shop owner nodded.

"One is more of an errand running creature; small in size, but very agile – probably to cover large distances." The grey eyes sparkled with the assumption as he continued. "There are larger hollows that have come through as well, though not as frequently as the others."

"That doesn't matter - I can kick all of their asses!" Ichigo sliced and landed partway from the rest of the group, breathing somewhat irregularly. Clearly the shinigami had caught his second - or third - wind.

Opening the case of the phone, Urahara made some minor adjustments to the circuits inside; after a moment an ear shattering pitch resonated through the small group. Momentarily the party was deafened, hands shooting up to protect the delicate organ against the sound. The tone assaulted their ears, the abnormally high pitch jarring their senses.

"Just as I thought." The Urahara's voice cut through the shrill sound grating against everyone's ear drums. Just as suddenly, the tone ceased, leaving the group to stare blankly at Urahara.

"That sound is a spiritual wavelength meant to keep hollows interconnected; they can send each other messages within its current." A triumphant gaze traveled across the party, amused in his own findings. "That confirms our previous hypothesis."

* * *

_Dammit_, Uryuu thought as he bypassed another swing from the large beast. He had already thrown two of the capsules at the hollow, yet they hadn't phased it. The reiatsu emanating from the creature wasn't that strong, so how was it resisting his attacks?

"Die!" The creature roared, lashing out against the Quincy in a two strike right-left hand swing.

Jumping backwards in a flip over the hollow's arms, he rolled away from the attack. Quickly launching two more orbs in its direction, he watched as the pills bounced off harmlessly. The creature didn't even flinch, its bulging eyes and green skin lacked any movement whatsoever.

A roar bellowed from the demon; a gurgling sound churned from inside the beast, and dart projectiles flew from its mouth. Hundreds of the little barbs skewered the scenery, making a direct line for Ishida.

His speed was dazzling, leaping from the barrage of darts and away. The hollow had not paused, spilling hundreds of the tiny points as the Quincy moved. It effectively impaled him to a tree.

The darts didn't hurt as badly as he thought they would, the barbs sending only a small pinch through his body. It was until he noticed the sickly green fluid the arrows were immersed with did he start to panic. Now the darts didn't hurt at all; as a matter of fact, he couldn't feel much of _anything_.

"Kuso…" The clenched teeth emitted the low growl as the hollow came up to him. It mouth hung open grossly as more of the viscous liquid spilled from its mouth. A hungry look shone in its eyes as it looked at its prey.

It seemed that he had no choice. To be eaten by a hollow, or…

* * *

"We should close this portal." Tessai commented to his boss.

"If we did, all hollows here would effectively be cut off in our own world." A fan waved casually across his face.

"If we don't, something bigger may come through." He added to the thoughtful pondering. Tessai adjusted his glasses and waited, obvious that his employer was weighing pros and cons of the situation.

"Everyone, move away from the portal!" he waived, acting much like a lifeguard by intonation. "Tessai is collapsing the dimensional fissure!"

"Hai." Tessai nodded as he began the binding chant. This would take no time at all.

* * *

"Damn…it!" Struggling was become futile. He couldn't hold his body upright anymore. Though effectively freeing himself from the tree, the paralyzing agent worked quickly, draining his reiatsu and physical power simultaneously.

There was no other choice but this.

Coaxing the innate Quincy power, his total focus and concentration went into one shot. He couldn't miss. He couldn't fire again.

Inside he could feel the dark energy pressing, looking for an opening from which to pour out.

Bottling one and persuading the other, the blue cast bow formed in his hand. An arrow notched and ready, he used his remaining energy to plant his stance and fire the spiritual dart right into the hollow.

The projectile slammed into the white mask, crumbling the upper edge of the pallor material. The hollow clutched at his head and roared as its body corroded, spirit energy dispersing into nothing.

Satisfied, the Quincy stumbled toward Ichigo and the others. Uryuu hoped that the liquid he had been injected with only consisted of a paralyzing agent.

A pulse of spiritual pressure behind him made his eyes widen. It was definitely the energy of another hollow, much similar to the one he just defeated. Uryuu hadn't quite taken into consideration that his desperate attempt may attract other hollows.

This one however, seemed to appear from nowhere.

Even if he had equated the arrival of a new hollow, the situation remained the same; he couldn't risk another burst of reiatsu. As he thought, he could feel the evil energy seething under his skin.

Should he run? At this moment there was no chance of it, the paralyzing agent already made him droop uncontrollably; though he couldn't feel his body, he wasn't going to let that keep him from using it anyway.

Fighting would take up just about as much reiastu as contacting his comrades. Faced with this predicament, he decided to risk it; one clean shot should do it. He still had enough strength in his body to dodge, he could take the hollow out.

The creature gawked, pawing the ground. It green and black skin glistened, pulsing with its own life. It gurgled, sounding strangely like a purr in its throat.

"I've found you." The demon growled, almost sounding pleased.

Ishida froze in terror, trying to grasp the meaning. This hollow was _looking_ for _him_?

Suddenly the hollow's head rose up, emitting a terribly high pitched tone. Uryuu jammed his hands against his ears in hopes to dampen the noise, but to no avail. He shut his eyes and focused internally, trying to block out the sound.

There was something else in that tone, an underlying murmur that he could barely make out. Maybe tuning into that will distract the ear shattering sound, he thought.

_I found him,_ the voice said. _He's by the bridge. We will take him and leave…_

Uryuu realized suddenly that the voice was not in that shrill call – rather spoken _inside_ his head.

Uryuu knew that he had to act.

* * *

The air around the portal expanded and retracted, warping the space within it. As Tessai finished the incantation, the fissure condensed and disappeared. A few wisps of purple wafted from the spot.

"That'll do it." Urahara chimed. "Now we can concentrate of the hollows left behind."

"Finally! I was wondering when..." Ichigo trailed off, staring distantly across the field.

"Ichigo?" Rukia settled beside her comrade, hoping to disturb the trance.

"…huh? Oh, nothing…" A troubled expression crossed his face for a moment, then dismissed it with a statement. "We've got a lot of hollows to beat down, so let's get to it."

* * *

Steady.

The blue bow flared at his fingertips, the flames rising around his arm.

Steady.

His hand reached for the string, and pulled forth an arrow.

His body wavered, his concentration was beyond the breaking point. Soon, the poison would have spread his entire body. Fingers twitched as if confirming the action.

Thoughts of Ichigo strayed in his mind. Uryuu would never admit that he should have stayed home, though it had crossed his mind. On the battlefield was were he needed to be, so that he could protect what truly mattered to him.

Isn't that what his grandfather taught him? Did Ichigo truly matter to him?

Another flick of his wrist. This shot needed to be perfect.

Releasing the string, the arrow cut through the air, racing for the mask of the still throating hollow. The separation was instantaneous, the face falling away from the gurgling stump of neck.

He did it.

Slumping to his knees, his breathing was ragged and uneven. Paralyzed lungs were probably not the best to breathe with, he thought, but neither is using any other paralyzed organ. _I need to get some medical attention_. Body unwilling to cooperate, he was just about willing to fall on the ground right there: The dirt was starting to seem really relaxing right now.

* * *

AN: Sorry if the end of this chapter is too abrupt. If you would like to see the rest, feel free to review to keep it going! I'm almost to 50, that's a big accomplishment for my first fan fiction posted on this site! Special thanks to my supporters, everyone who has been on this great journey with me! Especially TheAngelOfLucifer, you've been here since the beginning. :)

I'll be back soon:)


	18. Metamorphoze

Update: I realized how shitty - _shitty_ not crappy - this chapter was, so I went back and fixed it. I didn't see how bad writer's block influenced this chapter by shittifying it. :( My apology is forthcoming. Hope this is better:)

...I'm still fixing it, yet I feel I must apologize again. :( This is _bad_.

This chapter is full of slash, boyxboy, fluff, lemon, non-con…all rolled up into the chapter known as Metamorphoze. Next chapter will not have these elements for those of you who have been avoiding them.

I (still) do not own Bleach, just all my crappy stories (uh, still).

* * *

Metamorphoze

There.

That pulse. He felt it before.

Ichigo's brow furrowed in concentration. Maybe it was just his imagination; he was thinking about the boy an awful lot lately. Really he wasn't that great at reading reiatsu; how could he be so certain it was Uryuu?

Just his imagination.

Maybe.

"We've got a lot of hollows to beat down, so let's get to it." He heard himself say, still trained on the location that caught his attention.

Subconsciously, he headed toward the outcropping of trees that emitted the small telltale energy. Secretly, Ichigo hoped that the signature was a fluke; Uryuu was safe, staying at the Urahara Shoten like he'd asked him to.

Unfortunately, he knew Uryuu better than that.

Changing from the languid pace that he held until then, he broke into a speed he never knew he had. The world seemed to phase by instantly to the soul reaper as he ran toward the intended destination.

* * *

Rukia blinked. 

Ichigo was just standing there moments ago.

She had turned to indicate to Urahara that they would head westerly along the Memorial Bridge to eliminate hollow activity, and when she looked back, Ichigo was no longer with them.

Moreover, he had disappeared completely. No one could just _vanish_.

Unless…flash steps?

Rukia picked the last direction her partner shinigami had taken and broke into a run.

_Where did that strawberry go_?

* * *

The Quincy fell to his knees, a raspy sound emitting from burning lungs as he tried to coerce steady even breathing. 

That last shot took everything out of him. He no longer had the energy to stand.

It was with mixed hope and dread that he felt the familiar pulse of reiatsu from Kurosaki Ichigo. Looks like he'd have to be saved again, he chuckled to himself. Was he really that hopeless?

The Quincy's chest heaved, coughing blood as he slumped forward a bit. Silently, he apologized to his rival shinigami companion.

_I'm sorry, Ichigo. Maybe I should have listened. I got myself into a situation now. Why couldn't I had just done like you asked? Right now I would be waiting for your return. We would be together._

_Why? Why was I so stupid?_

Uryuu could feel the trail running down the corner of his mouth, chilling against the cool night's air.

Suddenly, he felt like laughing.

It was so absurd for a Quincy to be in such a ridiculous predicament. Wasn't he better than that? To be waiting for rescue – he should be shot with his own bow for degrading the Quincy name. Foolish and helpless. Ishida was not 'The Last Quincy'. That title died with his grandfather.

Ichigo's reiatsu was closer now – "Can you find me, Kurosaki Ichigo? I'm right here waiting for you. Be quick and rescue me."

Uryuu giggled - it was most definitely the poison in his system making him react this way. He was listing slightly to the right, slumping back on his legs. His thoughts were an incoherent jumble of chaos, much like the words tumbling from his lips.

With one final effort, he rose on his heels to rest on his knees. Gazing into the darkened sky, he whispered.

"I'm here, Ichigo." The Quincy slowly sighed, the air escaping from his lungs.

Then all went black.

* * *

Ichigo tore through the underbrush upon feeling the waning spirit power of Ishida. Cursing various insults at the Quincy name under his breath, he vowed that he would pound Uryuu into the ground for coming out here. Yeah, he'd make sure he was nice and well, then beat him so bad he'd send him to Soul Society himself. Yep – he'd even do the retard's konso. 

Entering the clearing, he could feel Uryuu's reiatsu in the center of the grassy patch. No sooner his eyes locked onto the white uniform, blowing slightly in the wind. The boy was on his knees, seemingly searching the night sky.

_Damn Quincy_. He thought. "Are you alright Ishida? Let's get you the hell away from here. You're in no condition for hollow reaping – besides we've got the situation …under …control?" As he neared the downed companion, Ichigo could see signs on his body that the boy had just recently been involved in a battle; small punctures on his chest and small quills dotted the normally pristine white cloak, a mixture of blood and green liquid smeared down the front of his tunic. A small trickle of blood trailed down to his chin, and his breathing yielded a faint gurgling in his throat. Uryuu's eyes were clouded over as his listless gaze rendered on Ichigo's face.

"Help me, Ichigo…" the voice failed, cut off by the ripple of mucus and a fresh trail of red against his pale cheek.

Ichigo hurried over to the boy, stopping mid stride as a wan chuckle emitted from the Quincy. It rose to a eerie laugh, somewhat inhibited by the fluid in his chest; it made the sound all the more intimidating and sinister.

"Is that what you would have _liked_ me to say, _Ichigo_?" Uryuu stood, wavering only slightly before continuing. "Do you _want_ to rescue me?"

Ichigo paled. What was going on? What was this _force_?

"Come on _Ichigo_ - let's go. I'm _sure_ you'll make me feel _better_." A wisp of reiatsu wove out to touch Ichigo's, jagged needles running through his body at the touch. The shinigaimi, shuddered, chills arching across his spine. Orange hairs pricked on his neck as the tendrils clawed at his spirit energy, burning and shredding through his reiatsu.

"Wha – Ishida, what's wrong?" Ichigo gulped the lump in his throat, but the feeling remained. He went rigid as Uryuu spoke.

"Nothing, my _dear_." The phrase hung strangely in the air as Uryuu came forward, caressing the tanned cheek of the soul reaper. "I missed you, that's all."

It was with shock and dismay that he realized that his body stayed riveted to the spot: He was forced to watch as Ishida's lips strayed ever closer to his. The zanpakuto that had until that moment been in his hand, clattered loudly to the ground.

"After all, I am apart of you, too…" A chaste kiss, deadly on his lips as he felt the cold presence linger there. "This _Quincy_ is fun, but he is not you. That is why I have done everything to ensure this boy lives; as a way to prove my good intentions."

Ichigo's thoughts traveled. What is this spiritual force? Is it Jouten, somehow taken over Ishida? It felt so familiar!

He spat a curse against the icy hand against his cheek, the glare of glasses casting a shade over Uryuu's eyes. Delicate hands moved over the kimono, against the warmth of his chest, sapping the heat away with one touch.

"Damn you, Jouten! Get out of Uryuu's body!" Ichigo's voice tore out of his body, forcing against the cold reiatsu of the hollow.

The shrill voice of laughter cut through his cry. "Jouten? You think this miraculous takeover was incurred by such a lowly incarnation? _I_ killed _him_ long ago." Uryuu's hands went wide as he arched to the sky. "My power is that of perfection! But you should know that, _King_." Stressing the last word with daggers in his eyes, the metallic shine glinting from the frames in a devious light.

_Kin_g? Ichigo searched himself; once he had heard an echo of someone call him that. Once, when Urahara had incurred this transformation: After calling out Zangetsu's name, when he had fallen. He had beaten the hollow threatening to consume him – he had won. A voice echoed to him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

It had called him king.

"You." Ichigo's voice dropped. "How –"

The hollow had pressed a chilled finger against the soul reaper's lips. "Don't ask such stupid questions, or I'll claim you as well."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. He was confused. Hadn't he won?

Uryuu's visage looked the same – how could he know that this was _him_?

Uryuu smirked. "Can't you tell?" The smile widened at the astonished look on Ichigo's face. "I may be in this body, but we are still joined, you and I – I am _you_, remember? That will never change." Ishida's body pressed close to Ichigo's accentuating the point. "Always." The hollow explained, grinding against the folds of fabric between them.

The shinigami's teeth gritted. "Get off." Ichigo mustered as much malice as he could put into one phrase, but Uryuu simply smiled. It was an inhuman smirk, completely contrast to the permanent frown etched into Ichigo's face. It derailed his attempt of being intimidating.

"I…thought you were just a voice…" Ichigo whispered, unable to break the trance between them.

The hollow backed off, seemingly offended. "I am your _partner_ – we walk together in this life of ours – I will always be your twin, your equal…" Uryuu moved closer again, this time directly stimulating the lower regions of Ichigo's body.

"I thought …you were only in my mind…" Ichigo resisted the kiss, but only momentarily. As much as he convinced himself that this was not Ishida, his body reacted with the touch, and he felt a familiar heat rise in his gut.

"I was, and now I am both; inside _and_ out. That's why I volunteered to help your Quincy – you remember old man Zangetsu's warning right? There would be consequences." He punctuated each word with a kiss, each becoming deeper until he felt the cool tongue slide into mouth, wrestling with the other inside.

It was then that he knew he couldn't resist – the hollow was him, and now it had a form in the shape of the one true rival and love of Kurosaki Ichigo. A tear slid from a closed lid at the admittance; he whispered an apology to the archer for not being able to foresee and prevent this from happening.

"Don't be so melodramatic." The hollow hissed against his lips. "Your Quincy whore is still alive. Just as I am alive in you. But this is fun, is it not? I finally have a body with which to play with you. Gives a whole new meaning to 'mind fuck', does it not?" The hollow chuckled at its own crude joke, pulling his fingers through the silky raven locks on his head.

Ichigo's eyes widened at the implication.

Suddenly fingers had dug into his scalp, pulling the shocked soul reaper into a crushing kiss, biting and nipping and almost snarling into the skin. The treatment was rough and demanding, the bites leaving red welts along the light skin. It was harsh and painful, but Ichigo realized to some dismay that he liked it.

There was a moment before Ichigo realized that he was moving again, caressing and returning the same painful treatment against Uryuu. Realizing that he couldn't do this, he tried to break off the strange trance that had captured him.

"Stop – this is Uryuu's body – you can't make him do this!"

The hollow licked his lips. "Are you talking about the Quincy, or yourself?" teasing the bottom lip with his teeth, he responded. "Because he isn't as against it as you."

Obi was undone and hakama removed, the hollow scoring skin along the way. Ichigo hissed as the nails dug into his skin, and again as the hollow took him into his mouth.

The soul reaper fisted the raven hair, pulling tightly to elicit some moaning from the man below him. It was meant to hurt, but he knew the hollow wanted it to.

It was amazing that no one had detected their presence; though he had a feeling that somehow the hollow was behind it. He must have masked their reiatsu…this thought passed only briefly as the hollow wound behind the shinigami, pressing at his backside with his body, erection grinding within strained clothing.

They both hissed as the zipper was tugged down, the hardened member pressing in between the cheeks as Uryuu's hands snaked around the front to grasp Ichigo's manhood.

In his mind, Ichigo was screaming that this whole thing was wrong, that it couldn't be happening. Knowing what was about to happen next and that there was no time to prepare, he knew what the hollow would do - and that it would _hurt_.

Hell yes.

It was with great remorse that he admitted that he wanted that, he wanted the hollow to force into him; the pain the joy…everything that the hollow knew how to do to him. The way he spoke, the way he touched – he almost didn't feel the stab of pain as the hollow arched into him, the shaft pushing into the entrance. His cry was cut short by the rough kiss, lips seized by cold hands.

They fell to their knees together, Ichigo spreading wider to grant the hollows brutal invasion of his body. His hands fisted into blades of grass, the delicate strands popping as he pulled them from the ground in his grasp. Hot tears streaked involuntarily as the hollow began to move, whispering into Ichigo's ear with the mouth of Ishida Uryuu.

"I finally get to have you. I've waited so long for this opportunity – lived inside your world waiting for you. I've admired you – lusted for you…because you are my king." The hollow thrusted and Ichigo cried out again, this time more in ecstasy than in pain, as he brushed against his prostate.

"I know _everything_ about you, king…even _that_." A second thrust, causing Ichigo to push back against pressure. Droplets beaded on his brow, sweat starting to form though the night air was chilled. Fingers dug into the dirt as Ichigo grunted. The friction became less as the two men became slick against each other.

"Kuso…shut up and fuck me already." Ichigo spoke through clenched teeth.

The hollow moaned, yet Ichigo couldn't escape that it sounded like Uryuu. Not having to be told twice, the hollow obliged, slamming headlong into the opening quickly and rhythmically. The only sounds heard between the two men were panting, moaning and the wet slap of skin. The hollow purposely brushed against the prostate lightly, teasing the other boy.

Ichigo could feel that he was close - the hollow wrapped his arm around the soul reaper and pumped the shaft in time, sending the boy forcefully to orgasm, the spurting liquid covering the ground and slicking his hand.

The hollow was soon to follow, pulsing into Ichigo's body in waves. Both breathed heavily, panting aloud into each other's skin.

The hollow was the first to compose itself, adjusting the white clothing and brushing off the remaining darts impaled in his shoulder. Adjusting the glasses in a very Ishida-esque pose, the hollow grinned.

Ichigo quickly assembled and donned his uniform, pausing to give Uryuu a deep frown. He only glanced at the item lying at his feet while pulling on the hakama.

"What do we do now, king?" the hollow raised his arms. "Shall we –"

The hollow didn't see it coming. Ichigo didn't think twice. It was the only way.

The tip of Zangetsu pushed against the archer's chest, incurring a surprised stare from the hollow.

"How did you –"

Ichigo grimaced, threatening to push the blade deeper.

Midnight eyes looked upon the soul reaper. The visage changed somewhat, replaced by a look of remorse.

"Do it, Ichigo. It's the only way to get rid of him." Ishida had spoken this time. "I wasn't meant to live."

Ichigo hesitated. He couldn't kill Uryuu. The blade faltered.

The expression changed, and the hollow cackled. Then he vanished from the tip of his zanpakuto.

Ishida Uryuu had vanished.

* * *

AN: Thanks to Orichalcon's remix 'Oddworld - Abe's Oddysee The Monsaic OC Remix' for helping me write the chapter. Great song, very moody. :) 


	19. Picking up the Pieces

I am disheartened. Three reviews for the last chapter severely altered my enthusiasm to write this fic. Anyways, to business. I apologize that this chapter is short, but it is a prelude to the final showdown.

No lemons (or strawberries) in this chapter.

Picking up the Pieces

Hands ran through orange locks, pulling the thick strands as they worked into the back of his head. Fingers tightened on his scalp to prevent his thoughts from going further. He could feel the crunch of the orange hair in his grip, the strain on his skin painfully protesting his own pull.

Rukia found them after…the incident. She had arrived just as Ishida escaped; he could still feel zangetsu pressed against the chest of the Quincy. She had rushed over to him to see if he were alright. Everything hurt; he was left with a cold emptiness in his soul, his body.

She helped him back to the Shoten. He collapsed, unwillingly passing out in a heap on the mattress. After he awoke he then realized –

It had been Uryuu's bed. The sweet cruel irony dug like claws into his heart, the sting in his chest too much to breathe.

Hot tears glided down his cheek. He scraped him away angrily, unwilling to admit how he truly felt. His cheeks burned, he could still feel the path his fingernails made along his skin. Air hitched in his lungs, and he stifled that which he forbade his body to do.

A multitude of people visited him to try and eject the shinigami out of the foul mood he wrapped himself in. Everyone tried words of comfort and support but to no avail. Ichigo remained crumpled in the corner of Uryuu's makeshift bed in Urahara's shoten, unwilling to move.

He sighed again as the images replayed in his mind. It caught him off guard as he drifted to sleep.

_Do it, Ichigo…I wasn't meant to live_… Fingernails dug into his scalp.

There was a sharp bang on the wood as the door was slid open, revealing that of a small, plush body. How the animal emitted such a ruckus was unfathomable, the slam jolting Ichigo momentarily out of his mental solitude to glare at the lion and the ridiculously unsettling expression on its face.

"TWO DAYS, ICHIGO!" the cotton stuffed figured pointed accusingly. "_Two days_ you've been cooped up in here, wallowing in self misery! What a sorry excuse of a soul reaper you are!" The lion strode deliberately at Ichigo, managing a decent saunter in the pint sized body. A talon on the rounded hand pointed up at him "You could be out there trying to find him! It's your fault he's out there in the first place!" The lion leapt onto Ichigo's much larger frame and began pounding away with fists as well as words.

"You haven't told anybody what happened! You refuse to say ANYTHING! What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" After several incessant cuffs to the face without a response, the plushy sighed and fell backwards onto the bed.

"Why Ichigo? Why haven't you said anything? Why haven't you tried to let us help?" Kon almost whispered into the air. Redirecting himself, he sat and gazed on Ichigo's still body.

Ichigo's scowl deepened more that it already had been, creasing deep into his forehead. His eyes shifted away from the small furry body. "Go away, Kon." His voice was cracked and raspy, lacking emotion and any warmth.

Kon perked up at the sound. "Spiky, you said somthin'!" The lion spoke, undaunted by the rejection the shinigami stated. He stood quickly and leaned closer to the orange-haired boy. "_Where_ the _hell_ have _you_ been?!"

Ichigo's eyes remained averted. He did not answer.

"Come on, Ichigo! Two days and you finally gave me something! Don't stop now!"

Ichigo didn't speak.

Kon grew furious, his body seemingly red with frustration. "RRRrr! Answer me, you carrot-head!" With a twist of his body, the lion landed a smack square on the jaw with a well placed round-kick. Even in a plush body, Kon's kicks were strong. Ichigo's check bruised and his bottom lip stuck out, pursed in an awkward expression with his pinched brows.

Sighing again, the lion turned away, prepared to leave the room. Its shoulders sagged slightly as it began the trek off of the bed.

A whisper caught his attention. Was it just his imagination?

"It was Uryuu." Ichigo said. His gaze still cast away from Kon's, though he could tell the tears threatened to brim.

Kon froze in place, hoping Ichigo would continue.

"He…said…things. He…did…things…that wasn't…_him_. Large hands gripped at his knees, trying to hug them closer to his body. They pulled at the cloth on his legs threatening to rip them from wringing the material. "He was there…and I couldn't stop him…" Droplets formed on the cloth of his shirt, darkening the material as it soaked through. "I couldn't save him…"

"Ichigo…what happened to Uryuu?" Kon pressed gently, trying to get any bit of information out of the lucid shinigami; there may be hope to finding Ishida yet.

"I…don't know. I thought it was Jouten, that Jouten took over…but…I don't know." The eyes of the soul reaper had become clouded over, as if revisiting the past. The dark brown orbs pleaded with the plushy as if asking for the meaning of his suffering. It seemed like Ichigo was reverting into his catatonic state.

"No, Ichigo! If you have any hope in helping Ishida, then keep going! What did he say? What did he do?"

Ichigo swallowed hard as he remembered every detail. Their bodies pressed together, breathing heavy…_we are apart of each other_…

"He said…that we are apart of each other…" Ichigo gritted his teeth and shouted. "I made him that way! I made him what he is now – it my fault!" A fist banged into the wall, a chunk of plaster falling and clattering to the bed beside him. His scowl became pressed, biting his lip as the center of his brow turned upward. "How am I supposed to help him when I'm the one who got him into this?!"

Grabbing Kon by the front of his body, he yelled into the flopping lion. "How Kon, tell me!"

"Kon's right, you know." A voice floated through the room. Ichigo's frantic shake ceased as he stared at the green clothed intruder. The fan flared in front of his face and caught a breeze, gently blowing blond hair back. "You're our only key to finding Uryuu. You're the last person he spoke to. Everyone else believed that he was still here in the Shoten."

Ichigo's eyes cast downward, avoiding contact with the shop keeper. Kon flopped unaided to the bed sheet, quickly recovering from the fall.

"I…don't know." Ichigo breathed. "I think the hollow took him over, but I can't be sure." He had become more responsive, yet this tone indicated that he still was displaced from emotion.

A silence passed between them, and Urahara turned away.

"You do remember that hollows have a nasty habit of lying, right Ichigo?" The shop owner turned and smiled at the shinigami. "I would hope that you didn't take any of what that creature said to heart."

Ichigo was left to ponder Urahara's words. As he sat, ridicule seeped into the forefront of his mind.

How had he been so blind? The hollow knew what kind of power he had by taking over Ishida's body – Ichigo would never harm him. By taking the Quincy's form, the hollow had ensured his own survival.

But there had to be a way to defeat it without harming the archer trapped with it. Things have gotten so much more difficult in the life of a soul reaper; he realized without pause that he wouldn't have it any other way.

He would kill the hollow and restore the Quincy.

At the meeting room of the Shoten, Urahara smiled as he felt the tides turn. Pouring Rukia a cup of tea, he spoke earnestly to the dark haired shinigami.

"I believe things are taking a turn for the better, Rukia-san." He smiled under the shady hat, one eye peering from under the brim.

"How?" she questioned. Things had not progressed in a couple of days, and the longer they sat idle, the colder Ishida's trail became. "We are no closer to finding Uryuu that we were two days ago."

"No need." A voice caused her to turn. "We don't need to look for Uryuu; he'll come to us."

"Ichigo!" she smiled, rising to meet the orange haired shinigami. He could have been worse for wear, but to see the look of determination on the soul reaper's face made her second guess the boy's physical condition. As long as he maintained that severe frown, she knew nothing could keep him down.

"Ah, Ichigo. It's good of you to be among the living again – so to speak." The grey eyes of Urahara sparkled, a sincere smile of satisfaction lining his lips.

"Can't say that it's good to be back yet, Hat-and-Clogs." The familiar ring of Ichigo's used nickname caused Urahara to chuckle. "Sorry it took me so long to come back."

"Don't worry about it." Urahara gestured to the table, inviting the soul reaper to sit with them. "We were just coming up with a plan to help out Ishida."

"Looks like I'm just in time." The orange haired shingami smirked, crossing his legs on the pillow. "So what have you guys come up with?"

"Nothing yet." Urahara smiled sheepishly. "We were waiting for you."

Ichigo comically slapped his forehead. "What would you guys do without me?"

"We would have come up with something, carrot-top." A child's voice sounded behind him, carrying the full weight of adult sarcasm in its voice. "Better than watching you acting like a baby."

"What did you say?" Ichigo's temper had also seemingly returned, slamming foreheads with the pint sized adversary.

"I said you act like a _girl_!" Jinta retaliated, adding a force of his own.

"Now, now, boys; you can play later." Urahara chided, masking his amusement with his fan. "Right now we need to get down to business."

Ichigo stood deftly, a scowl etched onto his face. His visage exuded seriousness now; he glanced over the table at the assembled allies. Slowly he picked his words, laying all the cards on the table.

"I have a plan."


	20. Decisions in White

Yes, it's true. I've started writing this again! (triumphant music plays)

I really should go back and fix some beginning chapters, since this was my very first fic. I'm sure there are tons of things I could change…

Anyway, this is chapter 20. I've decided to break the battle up into several chapters instead of one big one, because for some reason I was getting too intimidated to write it. So, here ya go!

* * *

_I have a plan._

And Ichigo did. It was brilliant, foolhardy and dangerous all at the same time. Yet it still had a slight chance of success.

"Are you going to tell us what this plan is?" Urahara lazily waved the fan in front of his face. Ichigo noticed for the first time ornate designs on the surface of the paper.

Rukia stared with wide eyes as she waited for the substitute soul reaper to speak.

"I'll just be faster if I do it. Just stand back and let me work. When it comes down to it and it seems like neither of us are going to pull out of this as we were…don't hesitate with the killing blow."

Ichigo didn't make eye contact. He knew he didn't have to. Silently, he left the conference room.

Whoa, Spikey…you're not saying what I think you are!" Jinta called after the quickly disappearing shinigami.

At least most of the people understood his meaning.

"Don't ignore me!" Jinta howled, throwing a baseball bat at the back of Ichigo's head. The soul reaper caught it in one hand.

"Jinta, I know you're afraid of what might happen. Just leave it to me, okay?" Ichigo's brown eyes, though saddened, had a glimmer of reserved hope as he nodded at Jinta. The redhead was still breathing hard, fists tightened to the point of turning his knuckles white.

"You…" The kid started, "You just better not go and get yourself killed. We worked really hard on bringing you back." With that, the emotion on his face melded back into that of an unreadable, placid expression, only frowning when Ichigo tossed the bat back over his shoulder.

After shedding his material body with the aid of Kon, Ichigo stepped outside of the shoten. There was a park a few meters out; the soul reaper nodded to himself that it would make a good a place as any to draw Uryuu back. Not even bothering to unsheathe his zanpakuto, he began running, taking long strides toward his destination.

Rukia and Kon followed at a distance. It seemed that Ichigo was unaware of them, which worked out to their advantage. It didn't make sense to provide backup if Ichigo was worried more about their safety.

Touching down in a clearing, Ichigo began increasing his spiritual pressure. It was hard to get the hang of at first; most shinigami had to work to unleash their power, while he had to find a way to suppress it. More or less he failed at the ability, accidentally letting his energy spill out randomly. Now trying to coax it out, he had to figure out _what_ exactly he was trying to let loose.

* * *

He scanned the horizon of Karakura. Hunting for hollows here seemed like an indulgence; all the souls here were charged with _that_ shinigami's energy. Kurosaki's power.

He even began to feel his cherished mask creep over the side of his face. Inhabiting a Quincy proved to be a worthwhile experience; though the event was indeed a lucky happenstance and probably never would have occurred if not for the caring gesture of his King.

The hollow purred at the thought of his once custodian. Their last encounter was more than memorable. To finally have his King at his mercy was more than enough to cause the smile to spread across his face.

And he could do it again, if he so wished.

Yes, this Quincy was definitely a good host. A good captive as well, since the boy's weakened state gave him free reign over the body. It hardly took any effort to keep him contained.

He brushed away the long, raven colored strands of hair from his face and finished consuming the hollow he just struck down. In this short amount of time, he had gained vast amounts of power from the souls he devoured. The promise of more caused a deep rumble of a laugh that filtered across the landscape and into the night.

His attention snapped towards the west. It was _his_ power; he felt it, wanted to be caressed by it. The hollow had missed that feeling.

Wiping his face of the dark ichor of its feast, he turned toward the spiritual pressure that it knew so well. It seemed to be calling to him, begging him to come.

_Then I will answer,_ The hollow smirked.

* * *

"Come on, what's taking so long?"

Ichigo's brow furrowed more. What _was_ taking so long? He had made no effort to check the radiating spiritual energy from his body. Why wasn't the bastard here yet?

Ichigo's brooding faltered a bit as he recalled Uryuu nonchalantly mocking his inability to contain his spiritual pressure.

_Maybe that talent may pay off in the end_, he thought bitterly, checking Zangetsu on his shoulder.

Suddenly he was removing himself from the wall of a building, a sizzling arrow jutting from his shoulder. Plaster and concrete fell from the dark shinigami clothes as he stirred, cocking his head to determine the origin of attack.

Ichigo winced as the barb disintegrated into nothing, leaving a hole filling with blood now that the wound was open. He couldn't help but send a condescending response in kind.

"That's not exactly fair – and I thought you were different." The sarcasm couldn't have been more evident.

A breath on his ear startled him, sending him careening away from the source. The laugh sent chills racing down his spine.

"Such a low opinion of me, after all we've been through? I thought that we had something special…" the hollow practically purred, adding to the primal fear that already engulfed him.

Ichigo willed himself to concentrate, but how could he? How could he separate this thing with the Uryuu that he knew? Somewhere inside that Quincy existed; if it were any other hollow, it would be eating the dust off of the ground. But Uryuu…

"What's wrong, king? Did I offend you?" Stepping from the shadows of the collapsed structure, Uryuu – or rather the hollow – stood. Blood red embroidery accented his pale white costume. A crimson glove pressed against the glint of metal frames; however part of the Quincy's face was blocked by a hardened, white shell that looked very familiar.

Back when Ichigo had almost died…

Back when Urahara had barely saved him from the brink of death…

The hollow mask mocked him from its new perch, the dark, sinister eye sockets and wicked smile. The long, jagged, crimson claw marks and sharp, fanglike teeth.

Matched as Uryuu's own evil smile, so unlike the Quincy that he knew. Not even when they first met did Uryuu ever seemed so foreboding.

How could this have happened?

"Well, Ichigo? Did you call me here to stare – rather rudely I might add – at me?" The hollow shifted his weight. "Or…?" he let the question drop, accentuating with a wave of his hand.

"I have a proposition for you." Ichigo smirked. "Die quietly and let Uryuu go free."

The hollow made a mock gesture as though he mulled over the proposal. "That's not much of a deal for me. What if I refuse?"

"I know the soul of the guy you're inhabiting," Ichigo's smirk didn't flinch, "and he wouldn't have any qualms about me going through him to get to you."

The hollow simply smiled as the shinigami talked, seemingly oblivious to the threat. Instead, he mocked Ichigo. "Maybe you asked me here so that we could get…reacquainted?" The sinister grin spread across his face.

Ichigo growled in frustration. Would it really come to this, striking Uryuu down after resurrecting him in the first place? Killing Uryuu, even though the archer saved his life? Certainly the few choices he had made the outlook of this battle bleak, and when he thought of the time they spent together at Urahara's shop, Ichigo' arms felt even more sluggish to strike. However there was still a chance…

He had a plan.

"If you're finished, I'd like to get down to business." Unsheathing Zangetsu, the zanpakuto's cloth wrapping unfurled as he brought the weapon down in front of him. "It's time for you to go back to wherever the hell you came from."

The hollow sniggered, disappearing and reappearing within seconds. Strategically aligned with Ichigo's blindside, Uryuu fired five arrows synchronously toward the shinigami.

Ichigo's eyes widened, but he was prepared. Raising Zangetsu to deflect the arrows, each blast knocked him back several yards, though his feet were firmly planted.

The hollow grunted in satisfaction. "Very good. I don't know how you deflected that attack, but I guarantee it won't happen again."

Ichigo defiantly stared at the hollow bringing the sword to an attacking position. "I know everything about the archer you're possessing, including the fighting style that you stole from him."

Uryuu bared his teeth. "I stole nothing. This is _my_ vessel now. It belongs to me!" He fired several more shots in succession, plowing into Ichigo's form. Dust and debris scattered everywhere as Ichigo deflected more hits, each blow stronger than the one previous.

Ichigo himself wasn't sure how he was able to detect the hollow's attacks. They were fast, much quicker that Uryuu had been even at the peak of his training. Each arrow was hard to block as well; the reiatsu poured into the darts was enough to deliver a staggering shock to his body.

_So, if the hollow has all of Uryuu's strengths, than what does that say about his weaknesses?_ Ichigo wondered, dodging several more of the charged projectiles. _This may be easier than I thought_.

"Is this the best you got? My grandfather could do better than this," Ichigo grunted as he swatted away several missiles. "Hell, _you're_ grandfather could do better… and he's dead!"

The hollow hesitated, jerking violently in place. Furiousness on the archer's face confirmed a definite reaction to the insults Ichigo directed towards him. It seemed that the hollow had shared more than just physical strength with Uryuu. Fortunately knowing a little of Ishida's estranged family gave Ichigo an advantage.

It didn't seem like much of an advantage as Uryuu snarled in rage, firing several projectiles at once. Ichigo flipped and dodged most of the attacks, barely managing to avoid them. An arrow found its way into the other shoulder, fizzling in a reddish glow before disappearing altogether.

"How dare you insult me?" the hollow chocked out. There was malevolence in his voice that was undeniable, and it sent shivers down Ichigo's spine. "How _dare_ you taunt me?"

There was a twinge in the back of Ichigo's mind as the hollow spoke. Certainly there was a hollow standing before him, but somewhere just beyond that enemy there was a spike of familiar reiastu from within that being.

Ichigo smiled. Somewhere, Uryuu was there. He could _feel_ his presence.

_Why are you just standing there? Get to him while he's distracted! _It seemed to say; Ichigo was happy to oblige.

Ichigo jumped, body phasing as he moved impossibly fast towards his target. He let out a cry as he moved to stab Zangetsu into the hollow.

He hesitated. That blow could kill Uryuu.

The hollow smiled at the sudden advantage, flash stepping conveniently out of the way while maneuvering Ichigo's blade from his hands.

The shout became a strangled gurgle as Uryuu stabbed Zangetsu into Ichigo's back.

* * *

Kon nearly jumped from his hiding place as he seen the sword plunge into Ichigo's body. Blood poured from the wound as Ichigo staggered forward, clutching the protruding blade in his hands.

Rukia pulled on his shoulder, holding him back.

Kon's expression was enough to question their hesitation to aid Ichigo. He needed their help, or he was going to die!

"Ichigo's alright," Rukia whispered, barely over the sound of the battle. "A shinigami cannot be killed with their own zanpakuto." She glanced down, a sad expression on her face. "I know it might be hard for you to understand, but so long as Ichigo fights for both their honor, we cannot interfere."

"Why the hell not?" Kon barely whispered mostly yelled at her. "What does honor matter if they're both dead?" Kon proceeded to move toward the battle again, yet as his attention shifted, the sight froze him in his tracks.

* * *

Uryuu thrust the sword in a little deeper. "How does that feel, soul reaper?" the hollow purred. "Who is the one in charge now?" Ichigo groaned and tried to grab for the attacker behind him as Zangetsu buried into him further. "Are you surprised that I can _touch_ him?" _thrust_. "_Wield_ him?" _thrust._

The sword was now buried halfway through the shinigami's body, impaling him from gut to sternum. The tip of Zangetsu quivered above Ichigo's shoulder, tainted deep red with the color of blood. Uryuu whispered into his ear, leaning over his shoulder as Ichgio staggered forward. "Are you surprised that I can _use_ him?" The hollow laughed deeply as he leaned forward and licked blood from the tip of the blade. "How would you feel to _die_ by Zangetsu's edge?"

Ichigo roared, thrusting his elbow into the hollow causing it to stagger back. Gripping Zangetsu with both hands he screamed, pulling the shaft of his own zanpakuto through his body. The sound was bloodcurdling as the blade passed through the thin torso and Ichigo collapsed, sword in hand, as the hollow smiled victoriously.

Suddenly there was a pulse of spiritual power; Uryuu began to glow with a vicious red energy. Spirit particles began to draw toward the hollow in a malignant cloud, energy forcefully pulled from the surrounding area.

* * *

Rukia staggered to the ground, clutching at her chest. Her breath hitched. _She couldn't breathe!_

"Rukia? _Rukia_! What's wrong?" Kon nearly shrieked, watching as Rukia struggled for breath. Kon glanced back up to the battle because if something was wrong with Rukia then…

Wait.

Uryuu was gone!

Kon gasped, attention back to the struggling shinigami next to him. "_Rukia_! Rukia he's gone! He's…"

A current of wind made him stop mid thought. Brown eyes shifted to the looming figure beside him, mouth twisting up in fear as the figure spoke.

"I guess we've got a couple of…_spectators_ who've come to watch your death," the sinister voice cackled.


	21. Last Chance

I made good on chapter 21, still fighting with myself since I think the quality could be so much better. I apologize for it being short in advance ;)

* * *

Last Chance

One in each hand, Uryuu hoisted the two bystanders over their hiding place and threw them onto the downed soul reaper.

Rukia, paralyzed by the wraithlike absorption of her energy could hardly do anything but right herself from the ground. Kon seemed to be frozen too, but whether it was from the spiritual drain or not she was uncertain. The look of stubborn anger on Kon's face was almost enough to mistake the konpaku for Ichigo himself.

"So," Uryuu teased. "Have you come to help Ichigo?" His eyebrow kinked upward when he looked at Rukia in her compromised position. "What's wrong, soul reaper? Can't stand up?"

With that, he wrenched Rukia to her feet. She struggled in vain as a red glow bathed them both. Suddenly her limbs went limp, and in her eyes shone a fear rarely seen on the face of Kuchiki Rukia.

"Stop it!" she could hear Kon screaming through clenched teeth as she felt her consciousness drift away, powerless against the malignant reiatsu. The intense power was sucking the spirit energy right out of her body, draining what life force she had left within her. It seemed that all would be for nothing; Ichigo and Kon both were at the mercy of the possessed Quincy, yet she couldn't even defend herself.

Suddenly the wave of power fluctuated; the hollow's grip loosened and Rukia instantly dropped to the ground. Through half opened eyes did she see Kon attacking Uryuu, launching powerful kicks towards the hollowfied archer.

"I won't let you hurt anyone, even if you are Uryuu!" Kon cried out, each time sending a powerful burst of energy with each kick. Expertly timed blows volleyed the Quincy, Kon's anger providing ample force against his target.

"How do you still have energy to fight?" Uryuu asked, more rhetorically than to the mod soul.

"Whatever the reason, it will be used to stop you!" Kon growled, barreling down on Uryuu with an expertly aimed roundhouse.

Blocking the barrage, Uryuu stumbled backward to avoid the assault. Kon threw roundhouses and sidekicks successively, sending the opponent on the defense. Blind rage drove Kon to his maximum force, and Uryuu could barely withstand the formidable attack.

Kon set the hollow up for an opening. While Uryuu drew his hands up high to block an axe kick, Kon faked the attack and instead delivered a well executed sidekick to the chest. Uryuu skidded backwards a few yards before losing his balance and colliding with a building, reducing the brick edifice to crumbling stone.

With the limited time he knew he had, Kon ran up to survey Ichigo's wounds. "Ichigo! Are you…" was as far as he got before pulling back the tattered shinigami robe.

Blood poured from the open wound. Ichigo's eyes were clouded over, staring listlessly at the darkened sky. At first glance, Ichigo was dead.

Kon felt for a pulse. Barely the skin beneath his finger pulsed, its pace slow and weak.

It was possible that Kon would be able to deter Uryuu, maybe disable the possessed Quincy – but there was no way he could beat him without Ichigo or Rukia's assistance; without willing to admit it, Kon wasn't trained enough to take down a seasoned fighter.

Suddenly Kon found himself pinned to a wall, the white hot bolt of an arrow sizzling into his skin. It serrated his shoulder just below the collarbone, sending the scent of burning flesh to his nose.

Uryuu laughed again, brushing the remaining bits of grey dust from the shirt of his uniform. "Some attack, modified soul. Just what I'd expect from a poorly designed facsimile soul reaper." Red flame outlined the firing arm of the archer, indicating the quickly approaching moment of attack.

Kon struggled against the arrow in his arm, cursing when he burned his hand from the contact. His teeth were clenched in an angry scowl, tugging at the lodged shaft. The action became more intense as he noticed the Quincy rapidly closed the distance between them, raising his arm for another attack.

Kon's eyes went wide as he seen a second projectile traveling directly towards him, tearing through the air as it sped straight for him.

Kon closed his eyes and twisted the dart in his arm; he had to get out of the way.

Ichigo could hear what was going on.

He knew what was happening.

His body refused to move, his limbs sapped of any warmth and feeling. Against his cheek he could feel his own blood running across his neck and dripping onto the pavement beneath him.

_Why can't I get up?_

Everything felt slowed, as if time itself was warped. Uryuu's hand raised, pointing his tainted bow directly at Kon. The arrow sparked with spirit energy as it brushed against the string. The look of determination on the Quincy's face. The terror as Kon struggled against his bind, eyes widening with the threatening projectile.

_I…have to get up…_

The slender fingers of the Quincy flexed and relaxed, releasing the dart in its intended path.

_I…have to move!_

The light was beginning to dim, the world left colorless and dull. Ichigo could feel his heartbeat slowing, it became a chore to keep his eyes focused.

There were shadows all around, the only light broadcasted from the sizzling arrow on its path to strike down Kon. Darkness settled everywhere it was hard make out one shape from the next.

Suddenly, a shadow moved. The darkness moved with a purpose, fluttering black like a cloth caught in the wind. There were footsteps.

_Death will not claim you, Ichigo, as long as I can reach you._ A deep baritone voice called out from the murky depths. It stepped along the path of shadow and light, the cloak whipping out from the blackened corners of his sight. _However, I can only guide the way._

Ichigo felt Zangetsu around his body as though the spirit was caressing his soul. _I have stopped your wound from bleeding, though the damage is quite extensive. There's not much time._

Ichigo's frown deepened. There was only one chance to try, and there was no way to be sure it would work.

"Arigato, ossan, for giving me this chance." Ichigo whispered into the dark.

_Remember Ichigo; that which was given, must be returned._ Zangetsu's voice retreated to the far corners of his mind as he willed his body to work.

That was it.

Ichigo gathered every bit of strength he could muster.

That was what he needed to do.

It was all so clear now as Ichigo instantly stepped in front of the Quincy, deflecting the arrow with the flick of his zanpakuto.

Uryuu was amazed at the speed at which Ichigo reached him. It seemed that in all respects the soul reaper was dead, but here he was standing right before him as if nothing happened.

The arrow was already on its way; a shame that the shinigami wasn't smart enough to dodge the projectile.

Instead, the hollow was surprised as Ichigo flicked the arrow away as if it were some powerless toy.

Uryuu thought to shoot another arrow, using his momentum to carry the weapon further, but the motion was against him.

Ichigo moved again, catching Uryuu's thin frame between his arms. The speed was unbelievable as Ichigo raised his zanpakuto out – and impaled them both on the long blade.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out, the scene unfolding before her. She watched as the blade intersected both men cleanly, Uryuu the only one screaming in surprise.

Uryuu scrambled to pull the weapon out, but the shaft was slick with blood and the handle impossible to reach from this angle. It didn't stop the archer from trying as he twisted a turned to pull the sword out.

"_G-g_," Ichigo sputtered, trying desperately to call out a word. "_Get…_"

He did it once before; could he remember the incantation?

"_Getsu…_" His brow creased with sweat. That time, in the training room with Urahara…what Zangetsu taught him…

Uryuu color drained as he felt the pale blue flame surround them both. The thrashing increased, the hollow almost succeeding in freeing itself from Ichigo's grasp.

A shove from behind of a stronger source made the hollow growl in frustration. Kon was there, holding the other end of Zangetsu to keep the possessed archer at bay.

"I'll kill you, you damned soul reaper…" Uryuu gritted his teeth.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, and with a roar he called out. "_Getsuga tensho!_"

The blue surge ripped through both men, sending out waves of spirit particles in its wake. Flaming energy shot out in a tall column, bathing the area in its wraithlike glow.

Both men wavered, then toppled to the ground, leaving the bloodied hilt of Zangetsu in Kon's hands.


End file.
